


Stolen

by stellaseas



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Lord of the Rings (Movies)
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Attraction, Developing Relationship, F/M, Intrigue, Modern Girl in Middle Earth, Pre-The Hobbit, Secret Relationship, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Trust Issues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:09:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 25,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24496246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stellaseas/pseuds/stellaseas
Summary: While traversing through Europe, a young woman is pulled back through time by a spirit that has been lying dormant within her. Once in Middle Earth, she must fight to survive, rid herself of the mysterious presence within her and find a way home. Her journey is halted when she barrels headfirst into the clutches of the Elvenking, Thranduil.Pre-Hobbit. Thranduil x OC
Relationships: Thranduil (Tolkien)/Original Female Character(s), Thranduil/Thranduil's Wife
Comments: 49
Kudos: 204





	1. Introduction

Yes, this is a modern girl in middle earth fic, I loved these fics when I was younger but they never quite hit the way I wanted them to, so I guess it’s inevitable I take a shot at it. A lot of the inspiration comes from Lee Pace's wonderful performance too. I’m hoping that, if I can pull this off, it will be a compelling romance between a modern day girl next door and the Elvenking. I’ve posted this story on ff.net and my friends have suggested I post here too to get some more readers. 

* * *

**The Lonely King.**

_Something is coming._ The Elvenking, Thranduil knew not what had coerced him into leaving the protective walls of his underground fortress. Yet he could not ignore the restlessness brewing in the depths of his mind. He left his quarters and stepped outside for the first time in months, adorned in robes of azure and gold. It was almost dusk. His son would be training in the forest with the guardsmen. The cooks would be preparing the nights dinner. And soon the sun would slink away, giving way to another late summer’s eve. 

He did not squint in the light of the sun, rather his steely eyes welcomed it’s shining rays. He stood at the highest point of his kingdom, a balcony carved from the top of the rocky hills that lay on the northeastern border of the woodland realms. Most days, it served as a watch tower, a point from which the entire forest could be viewed in all it’s glory. And all its decay. Thranduil turned his gaze to the south. Though it was miles upon miles away, his penetrating gaze could clearly see the southern borders of the forest. The king’s silver eyes narrowed. He had found the source of his malaise. It lingered on the horizon like a shadow; waiting for the sun to fall and for the light to fade. Waiting for an opportunity to slink through the darkness and continue it’s vile work. 

As he surveyed the lands, he felt a small tinge of remembrance prick his heart like a thorn. The dark presence that had spread throughout the forest was growing stronger still. It came first from the south where he knew the seed to be planted. It was, at one time, the heart of the forest. For it was there that Thranduil’s father, Oropher, had erected his palace, Amon Lanc. For thousands of years, it served as home to the Silvan Elves and their new king. Thranduil had spent much of his young life wandering the halls, he learned swordplay in the gardens that littered the grounds. He had grieved the death of his mother and father within the sacred walls of their intricately built castle. The Silvan elves were loyal and noble denizens. They had welcomed his father’s rule and Thranduil in return had been raised to appreciate and embrace the Silvan culture. After his father’s passing, it was Thranduil's die to reign over the elves of the Greenwood. And for over a century, Thranduil ruled in the seat of Amon Lanc with unequivocal harmony. That is, until the day the darkness came. 

The metamorphosis of the Greenwood went unnoticed by Thranduil and his people at first. For it came on the eve of autumn’s death. Most trees were bare and signs of decomposition were expected at such a time. As winter raged on however, the air did not thin. It became thick, and the unmistakable stench of disease crept over the lands. Trees shivered in the snow, but it was not from the cold. A powerful black magic had taken hold of their roots. When Spring arrived, the southern Greenwood had changed. What was once a forest so vast and so lush with life and color that it was infamous among the travelers of Middle Earth, had gone. Even with the gentle light of the springtime sun, the woodland vegetation seemed trapped in eternal winter. Branches turned black, their veins dripping with toxic sap. Flowers could no grow in the soil, tainted as it was. The great Elk that roamed the forest pathways, their food source having not yet bloomed, began to grow weak and they were forced to leave the forest and search for new grazing grounds. Few of them remained, still loyal to Amon Lanc and their elven brethren. Many that remained grew sick and their numbers dwindled to near extinction. But the flora and fauna were not the only casualties whose lives were taken by the darkness. 

Thranduil's queen, the star of his sky, Gilorndis, gave her life to protect her people in the wake of the encroaching shadow. When Thranduil was called by the Greenwood's allies to assist in the war that threatened to undo the kingdoms of Middle Earth altogether, he left his Queen to watch over their people. She was a native Silvan and much loved by her peers. Thranduil had fallen fast for her spirit and her strength. She bore him a son, Legolas, a worthy heir and uncanny amalgam of his parents in both skills and countenance. With the armies of Greenwood gone, the strange brewing darkness saw an opportunity and struck the Silvan strong hold. If not for Gilorndis, many more elves would have perished, but her bravery and keen mind for battle allowed many, including her son, to escape with their lives. 

The loss of his wife was a blow too great even for a leader such as Thranduil. Grief-stricken, his heart turned to stone, but he strove to live on. For his son and their people. In order to ensure the their safety and honor his wife's sacrifice, Amon Lanc was abandoned. Thranduil led his people to the north, where the forest still thrived.

A new capital was built, this time under the earth. Halls were carved from rock and stone, their form mimicking the trees above ground. Within the walls of this subterranean fortress his people would be safe from the intruding forces that sought to ruin them. Even as above, the forest continued to rot until the name of Greenwood was no longer suitable.

Thranduil surveyed his lands with stoic, stony eyes. The memory of Amon Lanc and the happier times spent there seemed impossibly far away. Their once warm glow had gone cold and alienated the once affable king. His people were still loyal and trusted his rule, but he could sense their wariness in his presence.

Dark storm clouds were barreling in from the north. The air was thick and the smell of soil wafted through the trees. Leaves shivered on their branches drinking in the last of the days sunlight. The land was preparing for a summer storm. The last of the season. 

Autumn would soon be upon the Woodland Realm.

* * *

**The Wandering Woman.**

"Cheers!"

The chorus of blissful shouts came from a trio of young women sitting around a circular table in the corner of a popular little pub in Baiersbronn, Germany. It was a small, bustling town sat on the edge of the Black Forest, a hot spot for tourists and local vacationers.

From the bar, a line of young men watched the girls carefully, wondering if any of them would get lucky on such clear summer's eve. Unfortunately for the watchers-on, the blonde, the brunette and the raven-head were not interested in a night of a stranger's companionship. They had each other. And for now, that was more than enough.

The brunette, the only one not to erupt in the righteous celebration lifted her glass into the air.

"Cheers to you, _Doctor_ Laura Perry," She said, turning to the slim, breezy blonde on her right.

"And you, _Doctor_ Connie Yuh." She said, tilting her glass to the small, but spritely dark haired woman to her left. 

"And to you _Doctor_ Noelle Sorenson," The two women said together. The trio clinked their large glasses in unison. 

"Dr. Sorenson," Laura repeated after taking another swift sip from her glass. "That sounds the most professional."

"Professional as an old codger of an Anthropology teacher blathering the day away," Connie said, giggling.

Noelle snorted, almost choking on another swallow of wine.

"No, _not_ teaching," She shook her head. "We swore we'd use our doctorates for good and not evil."

"Teaching's not evil!" Laura said.

"Seems like it, sometimes." Connie mumbled into her glass.

"Not anymore," Noelle said, smiling. "Because we are free, ladies!"

They clinked glasses again, whooping and cheering.

Laura said thoughtfully, "I still can't believe it's been four months since graduation."

"Feels more like 4 days, sometimes…" Noelle agreed, thinking back over the whirlwind adventure that had been her summer.

"Ah, well, that's because of the wine-induced stupor we've been in ever since tossing our moter boarders in the air." Connie said, reaching for the bottle again.

Laura grinned. "I think you mean _mortar board_ s, hon."

The three shared a dubious look before bursting into laughter.

"What day is it anyway?" Noelle asked, realizing it had been a while since she had spoken to her parents back in the states.

"August." Connie said, much too loudly.

"That's not a day." Noelle said, snickering.

"Wasn't this trip supposed to last a month?" Laura asked, her cheeks getting redder with each sip she took.

"It was." Noelle said, "But hey, with all our penny pinching we haven't run out of vacation funds yet. Why go back?"

"Yeah, back where those loans are waiting." Holly said, her eyes darkening.

The three women groaned and grabbed for their glasses again, only to find them empty as the three bottles that sat at the middle of the table like a tragically dry, once-flourishing fountain.

"It's a sign," Laura said, looking at her watch. "We should head back. S'late. And we've got to catch that bus at seven."

"Seven?!" Connie repeated, indignant. "Why on earth _**seven**_?"

"It's the first bus out," Noelle said, stifling a hiccup. "And we're going to want to spend the whole day at the site, trust me."

Connie groaned, twisting a band of hair around her finger and rolling her eyes playfully. "Oh right, nature girl needs her fix."

"It'll be fun!" Noelle said brightly, grabbing her sweater from the back of her chair. "I promise."

"You said that about that Intro to Anthro class, freshman year" Connie said, following suit.

"You're never gonna let me forget that, are you?" Noelle said, teasingly.

"It's just a nature walk, Connie." Laura said, ever the middle ground. "Tomorrow's supposed to be nice a sunny day, one of the last of the season. We should spend it outside."

"Fine, fine." Connie said, waving her hand dismissively. "But after we're done, we are going to that club we saw coming into town and Laura _you_ are going to snag _and_ snog a local boy."

"W-what?" Laura said, almost dropping the money she meant to place on the table.

"C'mon!" Connie pressed, looping arms with her shyer friend. "Noelle and I already ticked that box, I'll be damned if we finish this trip without you getting your turn."

Laura looked over her shoulder, casting a worried look in Noelle's direction. Noelle smiled reassuringly.

"We'll pick out a nice one." She said, looping her arm around Laura's free one.

The three roommates and longtime friends shimmied out the door and into the night.

* * *

Back at the hostel, Noelle stepped out of the bathroom. Both Connie and Laura had already had their turn for the night and they had both collapsed into bed, long lost to dreamland.

Noelle drifted past their beds and to the dresser that sat opposite hers right next to the window. A full moon, hung heavy and clear in the night sky. Noelle undid the tie that was keeping her long, dark hair confined to a fishtail braid. She then dipped down and grabbed an oversized t-shirt from her duffle bag. Noelle pulled the shirt over her head, yawning as she did. After that, she shimmied out of her jeans and into a pair of cotton shorts.

Once properly dressed, she switched off the lamp on the dresser and crawled into her own bed. Looking up at the ceiling, she cursed herself for feeling no less tired than she had all day long. She was far too excited, thinking about what lay on the roster for tomorrow's adventure. She had been looking forward to this leg of the trip ever since she had begun packing her bags at her parent's home in North Carolina. In her studies as an Anthropological doctoral candidate, she had read much about The Black Forest and the recently discovered ruins that lay deep behind its borders. Finally, she had a chance to see them with her own two eyes.

Trying and failing to lull herself to sleep, Noelle cast an eye to her two friends. They had met as newly forged doctorate students desperately in search of roommates at University. And while they had each chosen different areas of study, they became fast friends, bonding over their shared love of wine, bullet journals and Gilmore Girls marathons.

Now that their studies were done, it seemed it was time for them to go their separate ways.

Connie was ready to join her father and brother at the family law firm in Boston as a consultant. And now that Laura had completed her studies in psychology, she was well on her way to establishing herself a legitimate playwright. She had been invited to premiere her doctoral piece in her hometown of Portland that December. It was an opportunity she couldn't turn down, even though it took her far away from her friends.

As Noelle thought more and more about the futures of her dearest friends, she was overcome with the growing terror that, after almost ten years of pushing forward, she had finally reached that unforgiving, unknowable plateau that every young person eventually catches up to. Here she was, dangling on the edge of nothing because unlike her friends, she was entirely unsure of what she was meant to do next. Inside her chest a swirl of butterflies began to spin faster and faster until they threatened to spill from her mouth and start attacking her person.

 _Not tonight._ Noelle thought. Those were the kind of thoughts that would most likely lead to a sleepless night. And she couldn't afford one of those.

She rolled over onto her side, reaching for her backpack that lay on the floor. Carefully, unzipping the front pocket, she pulled out her camera. It was actually one of her father's. The cheapest, though by means mean cheap, digital one. It was a sturdy travel companion and Noelle had been snapping pictures every chance she got.

Rolling onto her back again, she turned it on and began rifling through the memories already made. Most of the pictures from the first 4 weeks abroad had been transferred to her laptop. London, Ireland and Paris had been dutifully logged into her many social sites, each album baring an exuberant title for those checking in back home. The first of the pictures currently living in the camera were of the clubs and architecture of Austria and Norway. As she clicked through the pictures, Noelle could finally feel sleep beckoning to her. She stretched her arms out and yawned, letting the camera slip from her grasp and make the short fall to the carpeted floor below. 

She pulled the blanket over her shoulders and peered out the window to watch the stars. As her eyes grew heavy, she wondered blissfully what sort of adventures the next day would bring.

* * *

Thank you, thank you, thank you for reading! This is the first chapter and I have this tendency to write much shorter first chapters. So if you choose to keep up with this story, do expect longer/fuller chapters. I have completed several of these chapters and will post them every few days. Would love to hear from you. 


	2. Stolen

Fortunately for Noelle, morning came quickly. Although she had been the last to close her eyes for the night, she was the first to open them when the morning came. She nearly flew out of bed, adrenaline and excitement rushing through her veins. Laura was the second to wake, stirred by Noelle's fluttering about, and she nudged their third companion gently.

"Connie," she whispered, "Time to wake up."

Connie mumbled and grumbled, turning over and hiding her head in her pillow. Laura just rolled her eyes and started her own morning routine.

By that time, Noelle was almost complete with hers. She had already jumped in and out of the shower and was squeezing the dampness from her hair with her towel. She never spent too much time fussing over herself. Most mornings she simply applied some moisturizer after washing her face. Then she would swipe a quick dab of mascara on both sets of lashes, cover her face in a thin layer of powdered foundation and then dab rosy lip balm on her lips. Once she had finished, Connie was still in the early stages of tearing herself from sleep. Noelle smiled at Laura as she passed her, before sitting on her bed and taking her brush in hand.

Noelle had no brothers or sisters, but her cousins were all girls. She had many a memory of summertime slumber parties where they would camp out in her backyard, giggle and gossip, consume sugary snacks and braid each others hair until the moon would start to fall. Parting her hair on the right, she began weaving thin sections into a french braid that would line the left side of her forehead. Once it was done, she tucked it behind her ear and pinned it into place. She glanced in the mirror that hung on the back of the door. _That'll do_. She thought, fluffing the rest of her hair with her fingers before retrieving the can of hairspray the three of them had been sharing.

She pulled her dark jeans from the bag and slipped into them. Then she grabbed a shirt and slipped her arms into it. It was checked in lavender and a darker shade of purple. After lining up the buttons she began snapping them together, leaving the top two undone so that the green camisole underneath could still be seen. As she appraised herself in the mirror, she adjusted the cuffs, rolling them up so they fell just above her elbows.

Now Connie was up, with 20 minutes to go. Noelle grabbed her backpack from the floor and did a final inventory check. In the front pocket she had: a small flashlight, her phone, and her wallet, passport included. In the main pocket, she had her camera, her notepad, a compact mirror, sunglasses, gum, lip balm and a small portable charger for her phone and camera (just in case).

"Ready?"

"S'minute!" Connie mumbled from the bathroom.

Checking her reflection in the mirror once more, Noelle realized something was missing.

She knelt over her bag once more and grabbed her makeup case. Unzipping it, she dug through until she fingers found what she was looking for.

It was her graduation gift from her parents. A necklace. A beautiful small cut of raw citrine no larger than her thumbnail, it's point dipped in gold and melded to the gold chain. She had always had a soft spot for jewelry and the necklace was quickly become her favorite piece. She just couldn't bare to leave it unguarded in the room.

"Let's go!" She called as she secured the necklace around her neck. "We can't miss the bus!"

* * *

"That's it, Sorenson." Connie gasped. "Tonight, wine's on you. _All_ on you."

Noelle laughed. Her spirits were far too high to be deterred by her friends gripes.

"What's wrong with a little hike?" She said.

"Little?!" Connie repeated. "We've been going for 45 minutes!"

"And we're almost there," Noelle said, pointing ahead.

"Thank god." Connie said, matching steps with Laura but not bothering to keep up with Noelle.

Noelle had not heard her. She was lost in a fantasy land that was all too real.

_I'm finally here._ She thought, her eyes taking in everything they could.

Forests like these, they were her temples. Each of them different in their own mysterious way, but the near mystical feelings she felt exploring them was what she lived for. She loved the feeling of fresh, uneven soil under her boots. She loved the cool air, thick with contrasting fragrances. She loved the energy that swam between the trees. She loved the darkness that grew, the deeper and deeper she journeyed into the center. She loved the small patches of blue sky that could only be glimpsed every once and while. She loved the colors and the creatures and the sights and the sounds.

Her parents home, the one she had lived in for almost all her life, was situated not even a mile away from the Nantahala National Forest. Their property was an acre in size and Noelle had spent hours roaming the forest that lined her backyard. The maze of trees and lush foliage was as much a part of her home as the wallpaper and furniture in her bedroom.

In high school, she had trained to become a Junior Ranger. During summers she worked as a volunteer tour guide at Nantahala. And for her 18th birthday, her parents surprised her with a whirlwind trip to both Yellowstone and Yosemite. It was her passion for the forest and it's mysteries, that led her on her path of study. Her dissertation had been, in her opinion, an epic comparison of myths drawn from the forests in both North America and Europe and how their varying histories affected the current state of the lands.

And now she was finally here.

The Black Forest. It was a massive stretch of land, named for it's dense trails, where the sun could not hope to reach the earth. Trees that rivaled buildings in height were packed together over the sloping range of hills and valleys. Four separate rivers ran throughout it's boarders. It was largely a tourist destination, but some of the land was still occupied by farms and small villages. Only eight months prior, a team had discovered ruins deep within the forest, unearthed by a landslide that had come and gone after a particularly heavy rainy season. Noelle had been following the story ever since it had broke. To be here now, mere minutes away from viewing the site with her own two eyes, was a dream come true.

"We'll have 2 hours to spend at the site and the trails surrounding it." The guide said, addressing the two dozen tourists in his charge. "Please return to the marked spot at the appropriate time, we will then return to the bus and head on to the waterfalls."

Small shafts of sunlight speckled the land and offered some light to the explorers. The stillness and silence was ruptured by their group and a feeling of trespassing swept over them. It was thought that the grounds had been untouched by humans for over 500 years.

The clearing in which the ruins had been found was lined by tall pines. A small sign hung on a wooden post told of the hikers that had discovered the ruins and the archeologists who were currently studying them. The tour began with a short climb up a stunted hill. Tourists could head left or right, around the base of the hill where the trail suddenly dipped down. It was on the other side of the hill that the ruins had been found. Noelle was the first of their group to crest the hill. As her eyes took in the sight, her finger hovered impatiently over the gage on her camera. The stone figures were the most enchanting. Most looked like women, cloaked and veiled. They were covered in brittle, dying vines. There were eight of them, placed in a circle where blocks of stone had been stacked together. They resembled doors, but they were small and seemed more like burrows than actual places of residence. Time had eaten away at the rocks and stone slabs. Most had fallen, likely pulled downwards by rainstorms. Nothing had been moved as of yet.

"What's with the stump?" Connie asked, pointing to the jagged broken remains of an ancient tree. Like most of the ruins, it was roped off by a thin line of chain that hung not even a foot off the ground.

"Petrified wood." Noelle explained. "I was reading about it."

The remains were no taller than four feet. Noelle knelt down, scooting as close as she could to the mini marvel.

"Research is still being done, but it's possible that this stump is millions of years old." She said, almost breathless at the thought. "Something about the atmosphere caused it to cripple and overtime it's been turned to sandstone. The weird thing is…"

She straightened up, her eyes scanning the trees surrounding them.

"They haven't found anything else like it in the area. How could one tree be affected while all others lived on?"

"Oooh, look!" Laura said.

Noelle turned around and followed Laura's gesturing. It was another stone door, except this one looked large enough for a person to fit through. It sat at the base of the hill, the stones pressed against the earth, suggesting that the earth underneath the hill had been dug out. A thin line of yellow rope was slung across the middle.

Noelle, stepped forward, peering inside. She could see nothing but inky darkness, seemingly never ending. 

She looked over her shoulder at her two companions.

"You wanna look?" She asked with a mischievous grin.

Connie only spared a fleeting glance at the dark corridor and shook her head.

"No, thank you. There are spiders and creepy crawlies in there and don't even try to tell me otherwise."

Laura, meanwhile was scrutinizing the rope. "I don't think you're supposed to go in there."

"Ah, how can I not?!" Noelle said, wistfully. "If I get in trouble, I'll just explain I'm a student. I'm sure the rope just means other researchers have been inside. It's nothing I haven't done before."

"You've slipped under ropes and gone sneaking into dark stone tunnels before?" Connie said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Well, not _exactly,_ " Noelle said, flippantly. She cast another glance at the door. 

"Noelle, why don't we just-" Laura started.

Connie injected. "Oh let little ms tree hugger have her fun. She's been talking about this place since we boarded the plane back home."

"But-" Laura tried again.

"Don't stay too long, Noelle." Connie called, nearly dragging Laura along with her. "That goober guide will get suspicious."

Noelle watched them head around the bend. When they were gone she peered to her right to ensure no one would see her. Even though she was certain she could talk her way out of any trouble, avoiding it all together was preferable. Secretly, she was thrilled they had chosen not to take her up on the offer. She could really explore now without being bogged down by Connie's babbling and Laura's troublesome height. She was not much shorter than Laura, still she wasn't entirely sure she herself could squeeze through the door.

She waited for one of the other tourists to pass her by, anxiously tapping her foot against the forest floor until they too had disappeared around the corner. With one final look around, Noelle stepped over the rope and slipped hurriedly inside.

It was a fairly tight fit, but nothing could dissuade her now. Stuffing her camera back in her pack, she pulled the flashlight out. Using it as an extension of her eye, she studied the corridor. It was crafted with the same stone as the door and from the looks of it, it continued on and on. After about five yards, the stone walls veered sharply to the left. She peered around the corner.

_How deep does this thing go?_ She wondered, pushing forward.

As she walked, her she ran her fingers across smoothed stone. The corridor continued on, but it was empty of all but a few cobwebs. Curious, she pointed her light to the floor. There were no signs of footprints. 

_I wonder if the hills grew around these ruins._ She thought. _Why build such a cramped space? Maybe it was a tomb or something. If I can barely fit who knows what else-_

The stone under her touch was no longer smooth. She directed the light to her hand. A thin line of cravings was visible on the wall.

_Symbols, maybe? Or words._ She thought, _But…_

She knelt down to get a better look. _It doesn't look like latin or welsh or celtic or anything I've ever seen._

She rubbed her thumb across the carvings. _How strange._

**_Thora!_ **

Noelle jumped at the sound of a crying voice. It echoed down the hall but it had come and gone so suddenly Noelle couldn't determine the direction. She went still, eyes slamming shut as she took in slow breaths, trying to gather her wits about her. 

_Did I...imagine it?_

A thin breeze slunk through the corridor from behind her. 

_Must've been the wind. But how could-_

Without warning, she felt a searing pain strike through her chest and her vision went momentarily black. She gasped, placing her hand over her collarbone. Her eyes fluttered open and shut. The blackness faded almost instantly, but the pain had not gone away. It felt as though her rib cage was constricting inside of her.

"Ah-" She convulsed, rubbing her chest trying to force the pain away. Slowly, as she took more calculated breaths, it began to ebb.

Suddenly the ground underneath her feet jolted. She fell backward, her shoulders hitting the wall behind her.

_Holy Sh-What's happening?_

The quakes grew more violent, and she pressed her back to the wall, her light pointed at the ceiling. She could see rocks scraping against one another. Thin showers of dust began falling from above her as the walls and ceiling shuddered. 

_I have to get out of here._ She thought, bracing one hand against the wall opposite her. The rocks underfoot were moving so violently she was certain she would trip. She tried to move the flashlight to her mouth in order to free up her hands, but a second, stronger jolt caused her to lose her balance and the flashlight went skittering to the floor. _Oh no._

Dropping down on one knee, she attempted to search for it. One of the rocks under her knee suddenly stopped it's quaking. Noelle looked down and saw that the glyphs carved into it had begun to glow.

_What...is happening?_

Entranced by the color of it, warm and red like a dying ember, she dropped her hand down and touched it. The light grew more intense, like molten gold being poured into a mold. It radiated a terrible heat and Noelle pulled her hand back with a hiss. The stones around it began to glow and soon spread until the entire corridor was alight. Strange voices began to flood Noelle's head. She tried to listen, but the whispers flowed through her unguarded mind like savage winds and she couldn't understand what was being said. The louder the voices grew, the stronger the pain in her chest became. Her bones felt as though they were expanding and would break through her chest like a knife through butter. The tremors grew so fierce she could feel her brain rattling around in her skull. She grabbed her head, tucking it in against her chest, trying to keep it still. She could smell smoke and sulfur, the intensity of it turning her stomach.

_I don't know how much more I can-_

With identical suddenness, the quakes halted. The silence that had permeated the tunnel had entered returned. It was almost as if nothing had happened at all.

_...take._

For a second, she wondered if she had imagined it. But her ears still rang with the echoes of the shake. And although the pain in her chest had vanished as well, she was certain she felt the absence of it as an eerie calm overtook her trembling form. Shakily, she lifted her head. The corridor was completely dark. Only her sense of touch and hearing could guide her. She shifted onto her knees, her hands splaying out against the floor searching for the wall. Once she found it, she pulled herself up. 

_My flashlight._ She thought, realizing she must have dropped it in the commotion. She dropped down again, praying against hope, as she searched for it blindly. 

_There._ She realized, her fingers closing around it. Her whole body was a wreck of shivers and it took several tries for her flick the switch correctly. Once lit, she flung the light in both directions, relieved to see that she had not been trapped inside by falling debris. Miraculously, the tunnel was still open in both direction. 

_Oh no._ She thought, all color and heat draining from her face. _Which...which direction did I come from?_

She felt her breath catch in her throat, and her heart began to hammer against her chest again. This time, less like a butterfly and more like a stone. 

_It's been like ten minutes. How could I have forgotten?_ _Don't panic. Just think._

Noelle looked to her left and then to her right. 

_Left._ She decided. _I need to go left._

She began trekking back in what she hoped was the correct direction.

_Stupid. Getting all worked up._

After she turned the corner, she could see the entrance she had come through. _Thank god._

Her pace grew faster, and she slipped her flashlight into her back pocket.

_That's weird. The rope's gone._ She thought. _I guess it must've fallen after the tremor. I didn't remember even reading about quakes out here..._

She shimmied through the stone door.

"Connie? Laura?" She called, not bothering to check if someone had spotted her. "Did you feel-"

She stopped, her eye catching on something out of place.

_W-what?_

Noelle knew without a single doubt in her mind, that the petrified wood had been just across the trail from the door. The memory of seeing it was vivid in her mind.

But...it wasn't there. She craned her neck, looking up, up up. And up. The small petrified little stump was gone. In it's place was a tree. One of the largest she had ever seen. Even now, she couldn't rightly see the top of it.

_That's...impossible. It was right...there. I'm sure of it._

She looked to her left and to her right. The thin dirt trail that had been stamped into the ground was gone. The chains that lined it were gone. All signs of the dig site were gone. 

_There was a trail before...right? I swear there was._

Her breath caught in her throat.

"Hello?!" She cried. She turned on her heel and ran in the direction she had seen Connie and Laura go. "Guys?"

As she ran, she saw none of the other tourists or the guide. 

"Hello!" She called louder. The site wasn't that large, someone would have to have heard her.

Dismayed, she reached the beginning of the trail. No one was waiting there. In fact, the sign marking the ruins had gone as well.

_What the hell?!_ She thought, unable to control the panic bubbling in her chest.

She stumbled backwards and almost ran smack into one of the statues. Stumbling back, she looked up at it. 

_It's wrong._ She registered. _That's not what it-_

Her hand dived for her pack and she scrambled to pull her phone from the front slip. 

_I took a picture of this one I know I did, but-_

She reached it, and pulled up her photos. _There it is._

Holding her phone up, she compared the two. In her picture, the figure was covered in vines. The right hand was missing and the nose had been broken off somehow. There had even been a little bird's nest resting in the crook of her neck. But now…

She lowered the phone.

_Nothing._

No vines, no birds nest. And the stature was completely in tact. No missing hand. No busted up nose. In fact, it looked fairly new. It's color wasn't haunted by decay.

_I'm dreaming._ She thought. _This has got to be-_

Her panicked thoughts were interrupted by a rustling behind her. She had been wandering through forests for long enough to recognize the sound. Footsteps.

She spun around.

"Hello! Is someone-"

She halted, her question dying in her throat.

It was a boy. He had to be no older than 14. Had Noelle not been otherwise occupied, she would have noted his strange dress. But her attentions were seized by something else.

In his hands, he held a bow and arrow. And they were pointed directly at her throat. Even though he seemed to be holding the weapon with practiced expertise, Noelle could see that he was frightened. His hands were shaking.

"W-who are you?!" He demanded, his voice cracking.

Noelle gulped, entirely speechless.

"Answer me!"

"Noelle," she said, instinctively holding her hands up and away.

"What are you doing out here?" He asked.

"I-I-" Noelle sputtered. "Where is...here exactly?"

The boy looked baffled. He straightened and lowered the weapon into a resting position.

"You don't know?" he asked.

"Well, I thought I did." Noelle said, feeling sheepish.

"This is the Mirkwood Forest." he answered. "And you are trespassing."

* * *

Thank you for reading and commenting!


	3. Men of the Mirkwood

As Noelle studied the youngster, she tried to make sense of his words. Though he looked no older than 13, he was sturdy and broad shouldered. His hair was as dark as wet bark and it fell in curled sheets to his shoulders. Were it not for his face, which was still shaped by baby fat, she would have taken him for an older boy approaching manhood. He was clothed in thick fabrics that hung heavily on his lithe frame. A brown cloak was wrapped around his shoulders, if not for his boots it would likely trail on the ground and catch under his feet.

_Strange,_ she thought. Before they had begun their trek into forest, her tour group had met with locals in a small village, but they looked nothing like this boy. All in all, he looked more medieval than local. _Trespassing?_ _Does he mean in the ruins? I guess, I was but...Why did he call it Mirkwood?_

She could not stop her mind from flitting sporadically between thoughts. Her head was still spinning like a top. As far as she knew, the locals did not have their own moniker for the Black Forest.

"I didn't mean to trespass!" She squeaked, stepping forward. "I-"

"Don't move!" The boy demanded, clambering closer.

Noelle stopped, raising her hands up and away in hopes to convey she didn't intend to hurt him.

"Dont. Move." The boy said, gingerly navigating the uneven brush as he slowly came closer.

His eyes were trained on her, an unfortunate mistake on his part. His left foot came down swiftly on a moss covered rock and he slipped. Tumbling to the ground, he lost his grip on the bow and arrow. They shot forward as he rolled down the small embankment. The bow landed just feet away from Noelle. She grabbed it and hurried over.

"Are you okay?" Noelle asked.

Save for the scarlet humiliation painted on his cheeks, he seemed to be unharmed. He pulled himself up, shaking leaves from his curly hair and brushing himself off. Without a word to her, he glared. Noelle followed his gaze and realized she was still holding his bow.

"No! No, no," she said quickly, dropping it at his feet. "I don't know how to- I'm not going to hurt you. Promise."

To illustrate her point, she stepped backwards, giving him some additional space.

"My name is Noelle." She said, trying her best to sound harmless and friendly.

"You said that before." The boy said gruffly, rooting around in the brush for his arrow.

"Yeah, guess I did." Noelle said, feeling foolish. _He's just a kid._ She thought, miffed with herself for being so intimidated by a boy. _Certainly doesn't act like one, though._

"What's your name?" she pressed.

He straightened up. "Why should I tell you?"

"I told you mine." Noelle said. She had never had a terrible amount of patience for children. They were only cute when they were babies, after all. Once most of them learned to speak, things started to go down hill.

"Gustaw." He said.

_Gustaw._ Noelle thought. Keeping her attention trained on him, Noelle looked over her shoulder gazing at the ruins behind her.

_Rather...the ruins that aren't ruins anymore._ She thought. Panic was beginning to bubble up in her chest.

It wasn't just the state of the ruins that frightened her. Something about the forest had changed. The trees seemed taller; their branches flushed with thicker foliage. The air swelled with a different sort of energy. Noelle had never felt anything like it. Before starting her journey she had read up on the Black Forest. Thousands of people had gone missing in the past five years alone. Some believed that ghosts gathered around grave sights hidden deep within the forest waiting to steal people away.

_Oh, don't be silly._ Noelle thought. _This is all some sort of hallucination. Or maybe a dream._

"Did you feel the tremor?" She asked aloud, hoping to stall the senseless thoughts in her head.

Gustaw, having found the arrow, straightened up.

"Yes." He said, "I came here to survey the area. I thought maybe-"

A crackling noise sounded from the grave site. Noelle spun around, her heart hammering in her chest. The pair stood in silence for several seconds, watching and listening. A raven poked it's head up from behind one of the stone statues. It landed on top of it's head, peering curiously down at them. After a moment, it's wings expanding and it took off again. They watched it go. Noelle couldn't help but notice the shafts of sunlight that pierced through gaps in the tree line above were quickly darkening. Sundown was approaching.

_That can't be right._ She thought. _It's still late morning...isn't it?_

"I should go." Gustaw said, trying and failing to disguise his unease.

"Wait!" Noelle called, following him up the embankment.

"Just go back to where you came from." Gustaw said.

"I-I don't think…" Noelle started, turning again and looking at the site. "I can."

Gustaw stopped and turned to face her.

"What do you mean?" He asked, curious. "Where did you come from?"

"I came from-" Noelle stopped.

Gustaw was looking up at her, waiting impatiently for an answer. She thought about what he had said. And the way he had said it. If he was a local, he probably had reason to believe the myths were true. He may have come to inspect the ruins, but Noelle was beginning to think he wasn't supposed to be here.

_If I tell him I came out of one of the graves, he's going to run away. At the very least he won't help me._

"I don't know." She said finally.

She could see his burgeoning resolve weaken.

"You can't remember?" He asked, the gruff gone from his voice.

"No." she said, feigning shades of despair.

"Are you lost?" He asked, stepping closer.

"Yes," She said, bowing her head.

She thought about forcing a tear or two. _But that might be laying it on a bit thick…_

The boy studied her silently.

"What are you wearing?" He asked, tilting his head to the side and reminding Noelle of a baby bird.

"Well, uh," Noelle said, looking down. "Clothes."

He stepped towards her and without asking, tugged on the hem of her blouse.

"Hey!" Noelle said, smacking his hand away.

"Those aren't clothes for a lady." He said.

"Well, maybe I'm not a lady." Noelle responded. _You sound like a child._ She chastised herself. 

Gustaw laughed, amused by her tone.

"Is this your first time in the forest?" He asked, still wary.

"Yes."

"Foolish girl." He said. "The forest has grown sick. Inexperienced wanderers are usually lost forever."

Noelle fought the urge to roll her eyes. To think a kid had any business referring to her has foolish.

"Then I am fortunate to have met you out here." She said, ignoring her pride and playing along.

Thankfully, it was her cajoling that finally convinced him.

"You should come with me." He said, having made up his mind. "My home lies on the border."

He slung his bow over his shoulder and began to trek down the other side of the embankment.

"Oh, thank you." Noelle said, following behind him.

He stopped suddenly. Noelle almost ran smack into him.

"Roland will not approve." Gustaw said in a low voice.

"Roland?" Noelle repeated.

"My brother." Gustaw said. "He doesn't care for strangers."

* * *

The tremor that shook the grave site had not gone unnoticed by any length of the forest. Such a raucous commotion was rare...and cause for concern. It's waves had spread through every inch of the Mirkwood like ripples in a pond. Following the echoes of those ripples was the raven. It flew silently between the trees, entranced by a glimmer of purpose that was odd for a creature of it's mental capacity. As night crept in, the winged animal reached it's destination: the crumbling, skeletal remains of Amon Lanc. What had once been the jewel of the forest was now it's rotting core. Dark magic eked from the structure like thick smoke, spreading disease in slow, pulsing bouts.

The raven landed in the center of the dilapidated palace, where a ruined throne still sat. Wings trembling, the raven skittered forward on foot. To an outside eye, if there had been any to witness the strange behavior, it would seem the raven was conversing, but there was no living being to be found. Still, the bird chattered on, cawing and chirping until finally the thin layer of dust and debris that covered the throne shifted. The raven stilled, it's black eyes like pools of ink turning an ashen, ghostly white. Winds began to swirl around the chair, picking up debris and flinging it out and around. As suddenly as the minute storm had come, it was gone. And throne was no longer empty. A figure now sat in it, it entire body cloaked and hidden. 

The Necromancer.

Surrounding the palace, blackened skeletons that had once been magnificent trees, shuddered in their husks. Smaller creatures scuttled away, seeking shelter in the small shafts of light that still hung in the air. All except the raven, which hopped up into the extended hand of the master of magic. 

He had awoken.

* * *

"You came all this way by yourself?" Noelle asked.

For nearly an hour she had been following Gustaw through the forest.

She cursed herself for not pay more attention at the start of their journey. At first, Gustaw had taken to following a trail of stones that had been stamped into the ground. It was narrow and wove inexplicably around the trees and foliage. But after nearly twenty minutes, he veered off the trail and the path seemed to Noelle entirely nonsensical.

"I did." Gustaw said, never looking back.

_**Ah, little bird.** _

Noelle's head jerked backwards, her heart hammering in her throat. Her eyes darted from tree to shadow. But she saw nothing, save for flecks of dust and dirt floating like embers in the light. She could have sworn she heard a voice, like smoke itself, croaking and dark. The hairs on the back of her neck still stood on edge, as though the breath of a sneering whisper had just passed over her skin. She clapped a hand to her neck as if meaning to slap an insect away. Her skin felt warm to the touch. 

_It's just in my head. It has to be._ She told herself. _Everything. The voice. The tremor. This kid._

"We're here." Gustaw called, motioning ahead. Noelle hurried to catch up with him. Between the trees, she could see a small house. It stood alone, several dozen yards from the forest's border. A wooden enclosure containing a small number of goats and sheep lay just beyond.

_**You have returned.** _

"Ah!" Noelle cried. A fiery pain shot through her chest. The force and suddenness of it nearly knocked her to her feet.

"Noelle?" Gustaw called.

"Gustaw!" Another voice pounded through the tree line. "Where have you been-?"

_**Come to me.** _

The pain had gone, but Noelle's vision turned black. She fell to her knees as the voice grew louder, causing the pressure in her head to build and build. 

"Sorry," She whispered, feeling Gustaw's hand on her back. "My head-I can't-"

"Brother!" Gustaw cried. His voice sounded far away, but Noelle knew he still had to be close. She tried to lift her head, but her vision went dark. 

**_Come to me._ **

Gustaw's voice came again, from somewhere above. "I found her wandering in the forest" 

"What happened?"

Noelle felt a larger hand on her shoulder, pulling her over onto her back.

_Did I fall?_ She thought. 

"I don't know." Gustaw said. "She seemed fine only seconds-"

**_Come!_ **

Noelle couldn't hold back the scream that broke from her. The voices in her head and grown so persistent and so loud she thought her ear drums would burst. She clapped her hands over her ears, willing the noise to stop. Finally, mercifully, consciousness left her. 

* * *

It was the crows and caws of the rooster at the breaking of sunlight that woke Noelle that morning. Their ruckus gnawed at her brain, picking sleep away like kernels of corn. Her whole body jolted and suddenly she was awake again. With a gasp, she sat up. That was her first mistake. Her head felt full, stuffed with soil and fluff. She rolled over onto her side, groaning loudly enough to rival the rooster. Her vision was blurred, but she had no need for sight to know that the dream was not over. She leaned over the edge of the bed, feeling around for her pack and the journal she had left on top. She hoisted it up and flipped it open. Positioning the pencil on the back of the cover, she scratched another line on the page. Using the pencil, she touched each line, counting as she went down the line.

_12, 13, 14...and 15._ She thought, as the pencil fell on the very last notch. 

_15 days..._

15 days, 15 nails in the coffin of her dream theory. Noelle could speculate and lament and pinch herself silly, but it would do her no good. For nearly a month she had held tightly to the belief that this was all a dream, the sort of rare, realistic ones that came by every couple of years after a few too many glasses of wine. But this was no dream, she realized. It was time to put the notion to bed once and for all. There was nothing left for her to do, except try to figure out how to make the best of her situation. Yawning, she slipped out of bed.

In return for her help around the small farm, Roland and Gustaw had been kind enough to lend her clothing and a roof under which to sleep. Work around the house was simple enough. She helped Gustaw with his chores, which included everything from feeding the goats and sheep to searching for wood at the edge of the forest. In between chores, however, Gustaw had been teaching her how to fire a bow and arrow. Roland had protested at first, but Gustaw's bright eyed pleading had worn down his resolve rather quickly. With all the work that needed doing, days passed quickly.

On this day, the 15th day, Noelle climbed up the hill to watch the sun begin its descent to the horizon as she did every evening. Summer was losing it's grip on the land. The blooming pastures and wild lands were losing their green blush. Clouds were rolling in thicker with each passing day. Now the blue sky was covered in small thin banks of clouds. They meandered slowly through the sky, coaxed along by the winds.

"I'm not in Kansas anymore," She said aloud, admiring the beauty.

"Kansas?" Came a voice from behind her.

It was Roland. Noelle looked him up and down as he sauntered up the hill. She could see Gustaw down below feeding the goats.

"It's an expression." Noelle said. Roland stood beside her, feigning an interest in the view.

Noelle knew why he had followed her. He wanted answers.

"It just means I'm far away from my home." She said, opening the gate for what she imagined to be a flood of questions.

"And where is your home?" He asked, failing to sound anything but demanding.

Noelle glanced at him. His eyes were still trained on the horizon.

She did not dislike Roland, even though she knew he disliked her. However, aside from some several derisive comments hidden under decorum and good natured sarcasm, Roland had been kind to her. He had given her no real reason to harbor any feelings of discontent.

"Brother!" Gustaw's voice plowed up the hillside and echoed over the plains.

"Is it time for supper?!" He cried, waving his hands about.

"Wash up, Gus!" Roland bellowed back.

Noelle looked over her shoulder, watching the boy as he giddily hurried into the house.

"He likes you." Roland said, "You remind him of our mother. Her ancestors were from the East as well."

"You think I'm from the East?" Noelle questioned.

He turned and approached her. His eyes aligned with hers. He was the same height as she was, but his stature bore more weight than hers ever could.

"Your eyes are the same color as hers, like the treetops." He said. "And your hair, dark like damp wood. She had the same."

"You don't want me here." Noelle said, annoyed by his constant attempts to intimidate her. She did not care for this little dance. Though she had not been with the brothers long, she could see how quickly Gustaw had warmed to her. They never spoke of their parents, but Noelle could guess that they were long gone.

"I do not believe that when Gustaw brought you here you had any intention of staying." Roland challenged. "Why don't you just return to your home?"

Noelle gulped. "I don't know how to get home."

Roland regarded her with disbelief. "You have forgotten?"

She shook her head and pulled her phone from her back pocket. Even though she had yet to turn it on since her arrival at the farm, she kept it close. It didn't take her long to discover it served no purpose in this world, but she couldn't deny it was precious to her. She had thought long and hard exactly how she would explain her situation to an unprepared Roland. In the end, her phone could prove to be her most convincing piece of evidence. Clearly, the time had come. 

_Or it's long overdue._ Noelle thought, bitterly. _And I'm just afraid._

"You have been kind to me Roland. You want an honest answer. I want to give that to you." Noelle said. She held her phone in both hands so as to keep it shielded from Roland's eyes. "But that means you have to trust what I tell you. And know that I have no reason to lie to you. Okay?"

He considered her conditions, before nodding in agreement.

Noelle looked down at the phone again. She ran her thumb over the dead, black screen. She could see her reflection floating like a shadow on its surface. Behind her, scattered bits of clouded floated lazily by. The sky looked as deep and as blue as a lake. She wondered glumly if she would ever be able to turn the phone on again. For now, she let it sleep, saving what battery was left for an emergency. She hoped that this moment would not escalate to count for one.

Swallowing what apprehension was left in her, she looked up and met Roland's gaze again.

"I'm not from...here at all." She declared. "Not the forest, not the East. Not this year. Not...this time."

The revelation, which had come to her shortly after she had awoken on that very first day, still caused her heart to stop. She had hoped beyond hope that she had stumbled into some strange part of the country where people still lived as they had years ago. But after feeling out her hosts, she realized that was not the case. Whatever that tremor had been, it had done much more than rattle her nerves. It had transported her. Into another time. One long ago, before technology or even democracy it seemed. 

Noelle continued to speak, avoiding eye contact with Roland. She was not yet ready to see what sort of reaction her words would spurn.

"As far as I can tell, I was somehow...brought here to this time. Against any will of my own."

"How?" Roland asked. Noelle breathed a sigh of relief. At least for now he had not deemed her insane.

"The place where your brother found me, the grave site? That's where I was but in a future time. I think. And from everything I've seen and come to understand living here with the two of you, I'm guessing that I have somehow traveled hundreds and hundreds of years into the past. To here."

Roland opened his mouth to speak.

"Here," She said, thrusting the phone into his hand. "This a tool from my time. It allows me to communicate with another person using a similar one. It's unlike anything you have ever seen, yes?"

Roland's eyes went wide at the sight of the tiny device. He ran his fingers over the screen, gazing at his reflection in the glass just as Noelle had. She let him fiddle with it. Anything to insure her point would hit home.

"What is it?" He asked, passing it back to her.

"It's called a phone. A means by which to communicate. It's one of many...machines from my time."

Roland shook his head. They stood in silence for sometime, listening to the winds whisper.

"You...don't have machines, I take it?" She ventured. 

He shook his head. 

"Stories are told of Wandering Wizards." He said, finally. "They are powerful beings, adept with many forms of magic. They may be able to help you."

"You believe me?"

"I see no other choice."

"Do you know where I can find one of these wizards?" Noelle asked, gobsmacked at the words as they left her mouth.

"I do not." Roland admitted. "But someone in the village will know. At the very least they will set you on the right path."

"I see," Noelle said, pocketing the phone again.

"It is a half a day's journey." Roland continued. "I will take you there in the morning."

"Thank you." Noelle said.

She turned to shake Roland's hand, but he was already making his way back down the hill.

* * *

Heat. All she could feel was heat. It radiated off of every inch of her skin, pooling around her and filling her lungs until she felt as though they would burst.

_Stop._ She mumbled, trying to make sense of it. _Make it stop_.

_**Do not be afraid.** _

_Not again_. Noelle moaned. She had gone so long without the whispers. Why were they returning now?

"Hello?" Noelle called, determined to face the voice that beckoned her.

**_I will release you._ **

"Who's there? Who is calling me?" she asked, screaming into the blackness. Her frustration was palpable, drawn out by the endless waves of heat.

Suddenly, a bird appeared before her. It's feathers were black as a bottomless pool. It's eyes were like marbles that caught no light.

"Are you the one?" Noelle asked, her words echoing thickly around her. "Talking to me?"

The creature simply cocked it's head to the side, regarding her with curious eyes.

Noelle opened her mouth to speak again, but the raven screeched.

Without warning it attacked her, squawking and screeching. It's claws gouged at her skin.

Noelle yelped and flung her arms up trying to protect her face. "Stop!"

But no matter how loudly she protested, the creature would not relent.

* * *

Noelle woke with a start. She gasped, trying to pull at least half a breath into her flaming lungs.

Before she could gather her wits about her, something heavy and heard collided with her face. She grunted and caught it in her lap. It took her several seconds to realize it was her backpack.

Looking up, she saw Roland standing in the doorway. His hands clutched a bow and arrow. He was aiming straight at her chest.

"Roland, what on ear-"

"Get up." Roland commanded, his voice steady and dangerous.

"What-?" Noelle tried again.

"Don't speak." Roland said, stepping closer. He pulled the arrow tighter, Noelle could see it quivering violently.

"Roland!" Noelle cried.

"I such a fool to listen to my brother." he said, seething, "I should have tossed you out on the first day."

"What did I do?" Noelle challenged, rising out of the bed and clutching her pack to her chest.

"Brother!"

Roland and Noelle looked towards the door. Gustaw stood in the doorway, rubbing sleep from his eyes. Noelle glanced out the window. The sky was light, but only just so.

_It must be close to morning._ She thought. _I was dreaming. Again._

"She's not well, Gustaw." Roland said, stepping in front of his brother. "She's dangerous. She has to go. Now."

"Dangerous?" Gustaw repeated. "Noelle's not-"

"Don't be daft, Gustaw." Roland bellowed. "She was talking in Black Speech. I heard her!"

Gustaw stopped his whining and turned his eye to Noelle. Even in the dim light, she could see they were painted in horror.

"Black speech?" Noelle repeated. "What's-"

"Be. Silent." Roland spat. "You have your things. Leave now before I loose this arrow into your chest."

Noelle froze. Wherever she was, whatever world this was, illusion, hallucination or dream...She didn't want to die.

"Alright." She said, calmly. She opened her pack and quickly made sure that everything was there. "Will you let me pass?"

Roland lowered the bow and pushed Gustaw behind him.

Without a word, Noelle slipped through the bedroom door and out into the morning light. She walked on for several hundred feet before daring to look back at the house. Roland stood in the doorway, his arrow still poised to strike. 

Swallowing hard, Noelle turned on her heel, even as fear began to cloud her mind. 

"I don't know what to do." She muttered to herself, clutching her backpack to her.

_There's only one thing I can do. Find the gravesite. And pray it will take me home._

Without another word, she adjusted the strap of her pack and hoisted it over her shoulder.

She didn't look back. She simply stepped forward and walked into the Mirkwood.


	4. The Abature

Whispers across the Mirkwood had spread far and wide since The Necromancer's arrival in the sickly remains of Amon Lanc. The highest in the lands deemed him nothing more than a fool for chasing dark magic. For it was a fowl venture. He would soon realize the error of his ways, or be killed by his own misguided ambitions.

The Necromancer, however, harbored secrets darker than any drop of Orc blood. He was confident that he would soon have the power necessary to release his secrets once more. But until such a time, he was reliant on Orcs and their maddening predictability. There were few among them that possessed a mind keen enough to lead their kin.

And The Necromancer was growing impatient. Quite suddenly, beyond all his foresight, a glimmer of hope had been handed to him. At first he didn't understand what was calling to him. But after some time he realized a fraction of his power had returned to Middle Earth. It's presence taunted him. He could practically taste its sweetness on his tongue. And yet, he was far too weak to pursue it on his own. He still clung to the safety of Dol Guldur. To use what power had festered to life now, would mean wasting hundreds of years of rest and reconnaissance.

Finally, after four days of waiting his shadowed call had been answer.

A small troupe of orcs had found him.

He met them at the gate, calling what powers he had and masking himself in billows of black smoke and shadow. A raven that he had allied with long ago, flew at his side and he bid the creature to carry out his will.

"Follow it." He commanded the orcs. "And return to me whatever creature it shows you."

" **Alive."**

* * *

Miles away, a different sort of creature stirred from sleep. A creature that did not belong.

Noelle was no stranger to camping, in fact she quite enjoyed sleeping outside. As a child, she and her parents had spent warm summer nights under a tent of sheets and pillows in their backyard. And when adulthood had come, she jumped at every opportunity to take long hiking trips where camping was the only option. Of course, in those times she had had a sleeping bag and at least a small tent big enough for her and sometimes the family dog, a chipper border collie named Hunter.

It was a risk to sleep out in the open, and Noelle counted herself lucky that she found a tree with branches low enough for her to climb. She was able to recall her time training as a junior ranger in order to seek out the best spot. She had settled only fifteen or so feet from the ground on a sturdy, thick branch.

_The thickest I've ever seen._ She had thought. _How big are these trees anyway? It seems...different from any other forest I've been to. But how?_

The night had been entirely uneventful. And while Noelle was thankful she hadn't come across any other hostile men, she was somewhat disappointed another traveller had not happened upon her tree. She hoped that her penchant for being a light sleeper had kept her from missing any possible connection.

As the morning crept onwards, she had yet to see another living, breathing, bumbling creature even after over six straight hours of wandering around the forest. There were no signs to tell her otherwise. No broken branches or footprints, no nests, no nothing.

She could call it nothing but wandering, unfortunately, as she truly had no idea where she was going or even where she was meant to go.

"What, is this forest endless?!" She yelled in frustration, her echoing cry flitting away only to die somewhere within the walls of trees. What was worse, was the realization that all of her training and experience seemed useless here. The air was thick around her and at times she felt dizzyingly confused as to her direction. There were so many hills and large trees that finding an even remotely straight path seemed like an impossibility. That and, her compass was completely useless. All troubling signs with no solutions. 

Specks of light were visible only through tiny patches in the tree line far, far above her. They glinted down in narrow rays, offering little help in her quest to understand the scope of the forest. She had thought about scaling a tree, but knew it would be no use to her. Even if she could see the borders of the forest, the topography meant nothing. She had no map and she was still uneasy about attempting to use her phone for guidance.

_Speaking of, I should really find some water. If there's a stream, I could follow that. Maybe find my way to the village Roland had mention. And then, find a...wizard. If_ _ **wizards**_ _even exist._

She shook her head, banishing anything thoughts that would lead her to questioning her situation again. After all, she promised herself not to get caught up in such thoughts. They certainly hadn't helped her with Roland and Gustaw.

"Mirkwood." She said, wracking her brain for what must have been the hundredth time.

Nowhere in any of her research of The Black Forest had the name Mirkwood appeared.

_Maybe...it's a translation? Or maybe those men call it Mirkwood. And no one else does._

Noelle swallowed, the dry walls of her throat touching one another and reminding her of her need. Her thirst had been growing more and more pronounced for since she had awoken several hours ago.

"Don't worry about the grave sight, right now" She said aloud, finding comfort in talking to herself. "Just find some water."

After twenty minutes of steady hiking, Noelle could pick up the sound of trickling water. It was a narrow stream. Noelle worried that, if she chose to follow it's flow, she would be met with nothing but a dried out creek bed. And with a forest so green, the trail could easily be lost.

She tried to quiet the needling threads of panic that were sewing through her train of thought. Instead she busied herself with filling the water bottle she had in her pack. After swallowing three quarters of the bottle, she filled it again and deposited it into her pack.

She sat on a large stone that jutted out from the soil, her head to0 heavy with worry to continue on.

_What happens if I don't find the runes? I am just going to be fruitlessly walking till I'm nothing but skin and bones and then what…?!_

"Christ! I worked my butt off studying for years only to die in some godforsaken forest that doesn't even exist?!" She shouted, standing up. "What's up with that?!"

She did not expect the trees to answer, but a fluttering of wings and a jarring cry echoed so close to her ear she almost fell from the rock in a tumbling heap.

Noelle looked over her shoulder and saw that she was not alone. A blackbird, a raven most likely, was staring at her with eyes like inky marbles.

"Oh." She said, flushing in spite of her jittery nerves. "Hello."

She pulled her pack onto one shoulder, shaking her head and making to jump off the rock. 

"Hello yourself."

Noelle blinked, her shoes skidding against the edge of the rock. _Oh, that would be the-surely the birds don't talk?_

The raven's beak hadn't moved or jerked in anyway that would look like speech. And the voice that had answered her seemed far too deep and gruff to be associated with such an animal.

Noelle turned around again, her breath catching in her throat. 

What it was...well, she had no idea what is was. It was unlike any creature she had ever seen in her lifetime. It looked more like the spawn of a nightmare. If she had to compare the beast to something, it would be a hyena but practically ten times larger. His humped back and snarling mouth was enough to send her running. Atop the thing, sat an even more appalling creature. It's skin was sickly white. It's pudgy, misshapen face was overwhelmed by a giant mouth, cursed with an underbite and a snaggletooth that was visibly larger than the eight others set behind it's lower lip.

Noelle felt her mouth fall open, but she couldn't muster a single sound.

"You'll be needing t'come with us, little bir-"

Noelle didn't wait another second. Driven by a burst of adrenaline so fierce she felt as though it could tear her gut to shreds, she jumped from the stone with a strangled cry and took off in the opposite direction. She ducked under a low hanging branch, spurred on faster by the galumphing footsteps that sounded not far behind her.

_Wait. That thing said 'us.' Did he mean the bird or the hyena-wolf thing or-_

Her answer came sooner than she could have expected. A terrifying snarl sounded from her left. It was followed swiftly by another one of the strange creatures lunging at her. Noelle halted and dropped to the ground. The beast thankfully was too far into it's leap and could not navigate a stop. It flew over her and when Noelle heard it's hulking form hit the ground, she took off again.

While she had always considered herself fit, she was by no means a good sprinter. Long hikes and camping trips had hardened her endurance, but she had never been chased before. Stopping short, she jumped up and managed to snake her way onto a branch. Even though her chest was beginning to sear with pain, she forced herself to climb and climb until she reached branches far too thin for her weight. She gasped in breath after breath, pressing her body against the tree, her fingers clawing desperately at the bark. 

"What happen'd?" Came a voice from down below. Noelle recognized it as the voice of the first grisly beast.

"She's taken to the tree!" The other screeched. This one was smaller than it's partner, though no less horrifying a site. It's slim face was marred by a festering scar that stretched from it's left temple to it's upper lip. It's left eye, which was smack dab in the middle of the scar's path, was nothing but a milky gnarled ball.

"What are yer waiting for?" The first one barked. "Bring it down."

_Shit._

The pair muttered commands to their apparently domesticated monsters. She watched horrified as they plowed into the base of the tree. The force wasn't enough to bring the tree down, but Noelle's grip was no match for it.

Noelle screamed as she fell. It wasn't many times in a persons life they hoped they would hit the ground from such a height, unfortunately for Noelle one of the creatures snatched her up before she could do so. She screamed as loud as her lungs would allow and twisted and turned, thrashing like a rabid animal.

"Keep still you stupid little-" Before the creature could finish his sentence, Noelle's fist rammed into his chin. Thankfully, it was enough of a shock to send him reeling and she managed to slip down to the ground. She landed in a huff and quickly gathered her wits about her before taking off again.

"After her!" The wounded beast called.

She jumped into a shallow ravine her boots slamming into the mud. Her balance almost slipped away from her, but she managed to right herself and hurry on. Just as she had hoped, the top heavy creatures had even more trouble plowing through the muddy soil. She managed to hoist herself out and gain some serious ground before they were able to escape after her.

The chase continued on, but Noelle could feel her resolve weakening. When she finally felt there was enough distance between her and the creatures, she climbed up into another, much larger tree. This time, she was able to find a sturdy grip on a branch still covered in leaves. She waited, her heart slamming against the walls of her throat. After seven chilling minutes, she could her the husky breath of the hyena beasts fast approaching. She gulped, realizing that they were following her scent.

"We're runnin' outta time." The skinnier creature said.

"Think I don't know it?" The other answered. "I-"

He was interrupted by a pained whine from the beast he rode.

"Aw, what now you filthy anima-"

Noelle couldn't see what had caught their attention, but whatever it was, the hyena-like creatures seemed as rattled as she felt. 

"Cursed things!" The second wailed. "We 'aven't the time for-"

"Stop your belly aching! We'll just have to go around! Where'd that damned bird get off to-?"

The beasts yelped as their masters bid them to veer off to the right. And just as quickly as they had come, they were gone. Their voices growing softer and softer until the eerie silence that permeated the forest finally returned. Even so, Noelle clung tightly to the trunk of the tree, she could feel it's rough surface cutting her skin, but she was too terrified to risk losing her grip. After several minutes of relative silence, she let out a loud, long breath and relaxed. It looked as though the beasts had moved on.

Carefully, she lowered herself from the tree, never taking her eyes off the terrain around her. She couldn't help but jump at every fluttering wing or flickering shadow.

_Whatever the hell those things are..._ She thought, touching down on the ground. _For some reason they-_

She stopped, all color draining from her once flushed face.

_What if Roland sent them after me? What if he told the village about what happened? What if...what if they're trying to kill me? Do they think I'm a monster? They said there were wizards what if they think I'm a witch?_

It was a harrowing thought. If the village had been alerted to her strange episode, it was very likely that she wouldn't receive any help from the men living there. Which would mean she would have to trek even farther to find any hope of assistance.

She sighed, somehow feeling even more defeated than she had before the creatures had turned up.

_But-_ Noelle thought, the details of their strange retreat catching up to her. _Why did they stop? They plowed through the river and the thorn gorge...Strange that they-_

A narrow indentation in the grass caught her eye. Dropping her bag, she knelt down to inspect it. It looked liked a trail, though it was thin; not even a foot in width. She looked to her left and to her right and saw that it stretched as far as she could see in both directions. It seemed to wind every which way.

"It's an abature!" She said aloud, her voice feathered with awe.

In her years as a graduate student, she had spent hours upon hours studying myths particular to those that lived in forested areas. The story of the abature was one of her favorites. An abature was a narrow, winding trail made of grass and plants that had been stamped flat, created by the footprints of an elk or lone stag as it drifted through the forest. Ancient European tribes believed stags to be spirits of the forest, blessed with a knowledge of the fates. The trails forged by their gate were considered to be sanctified by spirits of light. It was thought that evil beings could not cross such paths.

_And...those things couldn't cross it._ Noelle realized. _Of at least...they didn't want to._

As she studied the path, pages of text floated in her mind. _An abature meant safe passage for lost travelers...the creatures took off to the right._

"So I will go left." She said aloud. Bending down, she grabbed her pack and slung it over her shoulder.

* * *

As Noelle plodded onward, she tried her best to bat away the thoughts that would ignite old fears. She was no biologist, but she had friends and family who knew as much about the forest as she did. Stags were not known to frequent the forest edge. She could very well be walking a path deeper into the forest.

It certainly seemed as though this was the case. The longer she followed the trail, the larger and thicker the foliage became. In truth, she had never seen trees so large. Their bark was dark, some almost black in color. Here, the coming transition into autumn was more visible. The forest floor was covering in yellowing leaves, their vibrant pigment a stark contrast to the dark tones of the ground underfoot. Those that still managed to cling to the tree, were flushed with orange and red hues. Light was becoming harder and harder to see, but the thin shafts that did manage to break through the tree line, were more golden in color. Noelle guessed that evening was not far off. 

_I don't know how many more nights I can stay out here._ She thought, shivering. _It's already getting cold._

She had pulled her sweater from her pack already. Even though it was thickly knit, it wasn't exactly warm enough to keep her protected in the dead of night and she had no hat to cover her head. As she walked, she played absentmindedly with her necklace. Even the feel of the chain on her fingertips reminded her of home and it soothed her worried head somewhat.

_If I just keep following the trail._ She thought, her head spinning as the dire nature of her situation pressed in around her. _Then I can-_

_...Oh no._

She stood at the bottom of a steep incline. She looked around, spinning in circles trying to see if she had somehow strayed off course. But the abature, it seemed, had come to an end.

_So much for that brilliant idea._ Noelle thought. She wasn't normally a sarcastic person, but in times of certain distress, she often turned to scathing words as a distraction. 

_What do I do now?_ She thought, forlorn.

Far off in the distance, a familiar sound echoed through the trees. It was the shrill cry of the raven. There wasn't a doubt in Noelle's mind that it was the same one she had met in the morning. And if the raven was close by, it meant so were those frightening...things.

Without giving it another thought, she slipped her free arm through the loose strap of her pack and bounded up the incline. The soil underneath her feet was moist and healthy, and it took some effort for her to scramble up the hill. Unsure of the prowess of the creatures, she kept her breaths as silent as possible. They had snuck up on her once before and she was determined not to let it happen again.

At the top of the hill, she could see a tree with scarlet leaves. It's roots were thick and some of them had breached the surface. Stretching her arm out, she grabbed one of them and used it to hoist herself onto the narrow plateau of rocks and soil. She straightened out and rested her back against the tree. Sliding down, she focused on quietly catching her breath. Her empty belly and sore legs had made the climb more challenging than she had first anticipated. Rocks that had caught under her feet, shifted quietly down the hill, covering her tracks. 

_At least if they catch up, it will be harder for them to see me. There's no way they'd be able to make this climb._

As her beating heart slowed to its normal pace, Noelle picked up on another, more welcomed noise.

_Water._ She thought, her throat clenching instinctively at the thought. Holding her pack in one hand against her chest, she reached out and grabbed at a low hanging hanging branch with the other and peered around the base of the tree. 

Sure enough, only ten feet below her sat a dark, deep pond. Several red leaves floated serenely on the surface some twenty feet below. Just to her right, a trickling waterfall had been forged, siphoning a small stream of water into the pond. Noelle's eyes travelled around the edge of the pond, looking for a safer way down. The drop wasn't terribly high, but she didn't want to risk injuring herself.

_I suppose I could use the roots of the tree and lower myself down. But there's got to be another way to-_

"Eep!"

Noelle flung herself back behind the tree again, her back hitting the bark hard. She drew her knees up against herself, trying to disappear completely behind the cover of the tree. 

_Someone was there. By the water, I saw-_

It was the reflection she had seen. A towering figure clothed in ivory and silvery gray colors. At least...that's what she had seen on the surface of the water.

_I'm not alone._ She thought, running the image through her head again and again. So far, her contact with the people and beasts of this time period had brought her nothing but grief. She certainly wasn't keen on risking another fated venture. 

_But how else will you find the ruins?_ She asked herself. _Just be cautious this time._

Swallowing, she slowly turned and peered around the tree again.

_Oh..._

Thankfully, they was nothing like the creatures of her last ill encounter. At first, she was certain it was a woman. Their hair was long and so ashen blonde it was almost white. But the figure was incredibly tall and bore the broad shoulders of man. His hands were clasped in front of him, his head bowed as he stared pensively at the surface of the water. His cloak glimmered in the shadows, it was long and pooled around his feet like spun liquid silver. He looked almost out of place surrounded by the dreary colors of dying leaves and deep browns that surrounded him. 

_Like a ghost._ Noelle thought, watching him with awe. _I can't...make out his face._

The ripples in the water made it difficult. Without thinking, she leaned in closer, pressing her hand into the soil for better support.

_Strange, his ears look...pointed? Almost like an el-_ Her hand sunk deeper into the dirt unearthing a stone. It tumbled over the plateau and hit the surface of the water with a loud _**plunk!**_

Gasping much too loudly, Noelle clamored back behind the tree and slapped her hand over her mouth. _Shit. Shit. Shit._

She squeezed her eyes shut, listening for any breath of movement. After several moments of deafening silence, Noelle dared to peer around the tree once more.

_He's...gone?_

Leaning against the tree, Noelle scanned the waterbed for any sight of the mysterious man. But it seemed as though he had vanished into thin air, just like the abature.

_Is hunger making me hallucinate now?_ She thought. _Did I just dream him up-?_

"Well," A deep voice from behind her. "What have we here?"

_Of course._ Noelle thought, wincing as a creeping shiver rolled up her spine. She turned slowly, having no other choice, only to come face to face with the none other than the man she had been spying on.

The sight of his reflection in the murky green water had not done him a lick of justice. His skin was pale like moonlight, his hair was thin and wispy, slicked back and straight. He towered over her, with eyes like storm clouds framed by a thick dark brow. As she took in his features, Noelle was reminded of the statues that were dotted amongst the ruins. In fact, his features were so sharply angled and cut, they could have been carved from stone. Noelle was quite certain he was the most beautiful man she had ever laid eyes on.

He opened his mouth and spoke again, but this time it was in a language she had never heard before. He spoke loudly, his voice ringing like a grand bell, words spilling languidly from his mouth like sap from a tree. From seemingly out of nowhere, he was suddenly flanked by two others. They were dressed in menacing metals and wood-colored garb, their eyes hidden behind sheets of fabric. In their hands, they each carried intricately carved bows, each holding a black arrow pointing directly at Noelle's chest.

"A trespasser." The man said, this time in English. His stormy eyes were alight, a dangerous smile playing at his lips.

"No!" Noelle protested, throwing her hands into the air. Her pack fell to her feet. "I-I-I'm no trespasser."

She cursed her voice for sounding unnaturally high.

"I was or-I am simply passing through," she explained, trying to force an indifferent laugh.

"I-I didn't realize that this lands could be, um, trespassed...upon." She finished lamely. She couldn't decide if her sudden lack of articulation was born for fear or surprised reverence. The man's eyes were so deep, so unapologetically fierce, Noelle felt as though she was in danger of being entranced simply by looking at them too long. When he didn't deem her jumbled answer worthy of a response, she continued.

"In fact," She said, breezily. "I'll just be on my way-"

The man's eyes flashed like a bolt of lightening. Noelle felt hands grasp her shoulders and force her back against the tree once more. She looked to her right and to her left and saw that his steely entourage was to blame.

"H-hey! Let go!" She demanded, but their grip on her was like a vice. 

"Do you know who I am, girl?" The man said, capturing her attention.

"No, I do not." Noelle said, unwilling to play along or make an attempt at hiding her indignation. "Nor do I care." 

The man looked completely unimpressed with her little outburst.

"You speak with the petulance of a child." He said, his voice laced with amusement.

Noelle scoffed. "Well, I'm not-"

"Silence." He spat,

"Silence?!" Noelle repeated. "I don't think I-"

The words died in her throat as his gaze suddenly darkened. For several agonizing seconds, Noelle held his gaze, though she felt it could drown her. Without a word, his hand shot out and she felt a breath of touch against her collarbone. She flinched, her eyes blinking shut. When she was met with nothing but silence, she opened them again. His fingers latched on her necklace and he took the small white stone between his thumb and index finger. Noelle watched as his eyes stared at it with something akin to longing. And, before she could utter a word, he plucked the beloved gift from her neck, the clasp relinquishing to his strength with ease.

"Hey!" She cried. "You can't just-"

Again he spoke in the strange, fluid tongue addressing the men that still held her shoulders. He stopped, however, and glanced down at her again.

"Take the trespasser to the dungeons. I'll attend to her at a later time." He said, releasing her.

Noelle opened her mouth to object, but a dark cloth covered her eyes as her arms were forced behind her.

And despite every last breath of resistance she had in her, she was pulled away to god knows where.


	5. Trespasser

Noelle had never thought much about prison. In fact, she could only remember one time in her life when she had even considered the idea of what it would be like to be locked away for breaking the law. And it was all she could think about now. She knew she should thinking of other things. Escape. A good bargain maybe. Several choice words that would allow her to slither out of whatever mess she had landed in now. Aside from sneaking into the state park that lay at the borders of her childhood home, Noelle had never before come close to willfully ignoring the rules.

She didn't know all that much about prisons, but this one didn't seem terribly horrific. Once her anxiety began to ebb, she found herself temporarily distracted by the intricate beauty of her cell. It seemed to be carved from wood and stone. The door, was nothing more than a small opening, she was forced to duck upon entering. It was guarded by thick bars, but she still could see much of the outside. It was cool and dark inside, but not so cramped as to incite claustrophobia. At the back of the cell, a flaming torch provided a surprisingly comforting glow.

Just under the flame, a bench had been carved from the stone. Feeling waves of defeat and confusion flood through her, Noelle plopped onto the bench. She looked at the watch wrapped around her wrist, thankful it still managed to tick away. _It's…8:30 a.m._

 _I think...a.m._ She furrowed her brow. _Could be p.m. God, I don't know. I'm so turned around._

Time inched forward at a sluggish pace. Looking at her watch only irked her patience all the more. After a while, her stomach began to gurgle so loudly, she wondered if she would rouse the attention of the guards.

Noelle began to mumble to herself. Her head was swimming, the chase had exhausted what little energy she still had. She feet and legs ached. She was hungry and the sound of trickling water outside her cell was making her tortuously thirsty. And even though she had been successfully staving off the ever growing weight of her subconscious, she could no longer deny that she was afraid.

She slid over to the deepest corner of the cell and drew her knees up to her chest. Wrapping her arms around her legs, she rested her head against the cool stone wall and shut her eyes. She squeezed them tightly, intent on holding back a flood of tears.

Images of the ruins, of the flashing lights and her fiery nightmares flickered in her head.

_...How will I ever get out of here?_

* * *

Far above the dungeons, the elven king was lounging in the throne room. He was dressed now in robes of silver; his head adorned with a crown of elder-wood and autumn berries. In his hands, he held the necklace he had relieved from the trespasser. A mortal woman, by the look of her.

The chain was crafted of small gold links, but its make was unfamiliar to him. This was not a result of dwarfish crafting. Could it be that men were trying their hands at such a delicate art?

_The stone however..._

Threading the chain through his fingers, he held the stone close, inspecting it with the meticulous eye of a connoisseur. He had seen stones like these before. It was a rough comparison, however. This stone was small, seemingly a piece of a much larger jewel that had been hacked off with little care. In further offense, it had been dipped in gold and welded to the chain. Thranduil sniffed derisively. How did such an unruly mortal come into possession of such a rare gem? She certainly wasn't of royal background. In fact...her dress and her mannerisms were entirely foreign to him. Most humans, even if they did not recognize him could see that he held a place of great power.

_But that insolent girl-_

"My King."

Thranduil started, quickly slipping the gem into his pocket.

"What is it?" he asked, admonishing his subject with a steely eye.

"We searched the woman's pack, my lord." The guard said. "There is something you should see."

The kings brow rose. His curiosity was peaked.

"Bring it here." He said.

* * *

_Thora…_

Sleep had overtaken Noelle swiftly, but the voices that had plagued her since her arrival continued to weasel through her mind like snakes.

_Thora!_

Noelle tried to shake herself from the dream, but she was trapped in it. She couldn't see anything, her vision was fogged over by layers of smoke so thick it stung at her inner eye. A burning sensation flooded her veins, making her skin crawl. 

_What have you done?_ This voice was new. A woman's, streaked with terror.

 _I don't know!_ Noelle shouted. _Why am I…? I'm not Thora. I'm Noelle. I-_

 _What's happened, mother?_ Another new voice. A male's.

_It's Thora. She's...oh, I don't know!_

_Help me!_ Noelle called, her own voice melding with a smaller voice. A child's voice.

Shadowy images flashed before her now. She could see her own hands. But...they were distorted. No, smaller. They looked like a child's hands. Pulling them away, she focused her attention on what lay before her.

It was a raven. Just like the one from the forest. Something was wrong though.

 _It's dead_. Noelle realized. _It's neck is broken and it's still as a stone. Oh my god._

A terrible wrenching fear exploded inside her. _But why?_ She thought. _Why do I feel this way?_

**_It's in you. It's gone inside._ **

_It's gone inside me._ She yelped, her whole body convulsing. _It's in me. I don't know what happened._ _ **Help!**_

* * *

So forcibly was Noelle jarred from sleep that she lost what little balance she had and tumbled to the floor in a heap. She pushed herself up onto her knees, as dots of colorless light peppered her vision.

"What the hell…" She muttered, rubbing sleep from her eyes. As she tried to gather her wits about her, she heard the sound of keening metal. She looked up. One of the guards stood before the door.

"Get up." He commanded coolly. "The king has summoned you."

 _The king?_ Noelle thought, a shiver running up her spine.

"King?" Noelle said aloud.

"Yes," The guard said, clearly confused by her ignorance. "The Lord of these lands, King Thranduil, demands your presence."

 _King Thranduil._ Noelle thought. _The man by the stream? Great, now I've gone and offended a king._

Noelle huffed and scrambled to her feet. Aside from being caught by those beastly creatures in the woods, Noelle couldn't imagine a worse turn of events. _At this rate, I'll end up dead before I find my way back to the ruins._

She followed the guard out of the cell, her dream momentarily forgotten. Two more were waiting. While the first led on, the other two fell in line behind her. They ascended a winding, narrow staircase. The air in the dungeon was dank and cold. All she had on was her button up and her thin knitted sweater. She wrapped her arms around herself, wishing she had the cloak Gustaw and snuck into her pack before she had left.

 _Oh no,_ she realized far too late. _They have my pack._

Her anxiety however was subdued, by what lay before her.

"Oh...my." Noelle breathed.

It was unlike anything she had ever seen. Now the stone prison made sense.

She had not been led to a castle, but underground. Now she was being led through a gargantuan cavern. The scope of it was dizzying. The guards led her down narrow, winding paths of stone that had been carved from the cave. Soon, they came to another sweeping stair case.

Noelle looked up and another shiver racked her spine. At the top, sat the king, Thranduil, upon a wood-carved throne. Noelle could do nothing but gaze up at him. Although the throne was truly massive, the king was not dwarfed by it's size. It seemed perfectly suited to him. Upon closer inspection, she realized the wood had been carved to replicate the horns of an elk, they stretched up to the ceiling...or at least would have if there were any ceiling to make out. Noelle's gaze shifted around the room searching for signs of walls but she could only see more staircases, twisting and turning like a labyrinth of wood and stone. 

_Just how large is this place?_ She thought, her heart crawling up to her throat. _It's like...something out of a dream._

He said nothing, only stared down at her like a predatory bird surveying the next hunt. Noelle swallowed. Her throat was dry and she could feel beads of sweat forming on the back of her neck. The first time she had laid eyes on him, the advantage and been hers. Now, he had full control.

"You've no right to keep me here." She said, trying her best to remain stoic. She lifted her chin. "I've done nothing wrong."

Her voice echoed through the open chamber. Each reverberation growing smaller and smaller. _As small as I feel,_ Noelle thought, balefully. 

"That is for me to decide," The king answered, his voice tearing through the caverns like a predatory bird in flight. Even from down below, Noelle could see he was grinning.

 _Bastard._ Noelle thought, her cheeks heating. _He's enjoying this._

"I've already told your lackies I had no intention of trespassing." Noelle snapped, any inhibitions left in her dashed out by the swift glint in his silver eyes. "So why don't you give me my pack and I'll be on my way. Or-"

"Or?" His voice cut through hers as easily as a blade through fog. "You think you are in any position to negotiate?" 

Noelle bristled, but she was relieved he had stopped her. She really had no idea what she meant to say. Any word she spoke from now on would be nothing but a bluff. 

_Well, it's not like I have anything left to lose._

"Would it make a difference if I were?" Noelle all but barked. 

His smirk only widened. Noelle blinked, her hands balling into fists at her side. 

"Leave us." He said finally. 

Noelle nearly jumped out of her skin when the guards that flanked his throne scurried away with obedient swiftness. They had been so still and silent at her entrance, she had thought they were statues. She waited anxiously, hearing their footsteps grow quieter and quieter until they disappeared altogether. It seemed impossible that they could be truly alone in such a gargantuan cavern, but the king shifted. Drawing one long leg over the other, he leaned back in the throne adopting a much more casual stance. He lifted a hand, holding something Noelle couldn't quite make out from her spot at the very bottom step. 

"I'm afraid I cannot let you go." His voice was low, but maddeningly amused. 

"And why not?" Noelle spat, trying to contain her frustration.

The king reached down to his feet and pulled something into his lap.

Her pack. 

_Dammit._ Noelle thought. 

He slipped his hand inside and pulled something put. It was her camera.

"What is this...contraption?" He asked.

"It's, um, well-" Noelle stammered, not sure how to proceed. She had been careful with the Mirkwood boys. It had taken her two weeks to gain their trust and assure them she was of sound mind. She had been kind and sweet and purposefully meek, so as not to arouse any suspicions or sense of danger. Then, she had the advantage of choosing the timing of her reveal. Here...that options had been taken away from her. 

_There's really no point in lying._ She thought, weighing her options. _But...that doesn't mean I have to tell him everything..._

"It's called a camera." She said.

"A cam-e-ra." he repeated, slowly enunciating each syllable.

"Yes, it, um-Well, you see-" Noelle started, biting down on her lip to keep herself from laughing. He certainly hadn't meant to trigger her so, but hearing his dulcet tones try to wrap themselves around the word, strange as it was to him, was too much. 

"Are you always so inarticulate?" The king jeered, his question laced with scorn. 

Any lingering humor sapped out of her. Against her better judgement, she ascended the steps as quickly as she could. The king's eyes widened and he rose to his feet. 

"I did not give you permission to-"

"It captures images." She interjected, swiping the camera from his unsuspecting hand. Turning it over, she pointed to the screen. "Here. If you point it at something and press this button, you can capture a copy. Like...like a drawing, but more exact."

As she had hoped, her impromptu display had been enough to placate his ire. His eyes were fixated on the screen. Without a word, he snatched it back. Noelle let it go, knowing better than to press her luck any further. 

"Who are you?" He asked, his eye finally leaving the camera.

"N-noelle." She answered. "Noelle Sorenson."

She swallowed, hoping he wouldn't press her. If he did, she didn't know what she could say. Aside from the truth.

"What is the purpose of this...camera?"

Noelle looked up at him. His icy eyes were fixated on the screen once more. She followed his gaze and blushed.

The first image in the lineup was one of herself. Holly had taken it for her as they explored the ruins. The beams of light that managed to piece through the tree tops had made for some very stylized pictures and the girls had taken turns shooting pictures of each other. She was looking into the camera, smiling as she looked up into the trees.

 _God, what I would give to be back there. Right now._ Even the thought of it quieted her nerves.

"Well," She stuttered. "Because, there's something comforting about the ability to capture a moment in time. With this, you can preserve your memories and keep them, well, forever. And...when you look at it, you can return to that image. Whether it be a place, an experience, a person. It can be a way to hold onto a-"

"My Lord!"

Thranduil straightened so swiftly, Noelle nearly lost her balance. Her fleeting confusion allowed him the chance to snatch her pack away from her again.

Noelle opened her mouth to protest, but two guards appeared on her side as though they had sprouted from thin air. The pulled her down the stairs with such ease, she flushed with embarrassment.

"What is it?" Thranduil asked.

"The Watch has returned. Legolas would have words with you."

"Very well." The King said. He turned and ascended the steps to his throne. "Take her away."

"Hold on." Noelle cried, as she struggled against the guards with miserable results. "My stuff! You can't just-"

It was far too late, she had been forced down the stairs and out of his sight within seconds.

"Wait." Thranduil barked.

The last of his personal guard stayed behind and waited for his king's command.

"Not to the dungeons." Thranduil said, his eye returning to the strange contraption.

"My Lord?"

 _Sorenson._ It was a human's name, but this woman was foreign to him. She did not carry herself like a lady of Dale, nor like a girl of the woodfolk.

As he inspected the camera, he could see his own reflection distorted on the dark glass.

"I do not want the woman's presence known to my people just yet." Thranduil said, addressing his guard. "Take her to my lower chambers..."

He pressed the button as she had shown him and just as it had before, an image appeared in a searing light on the surface of the glass. _Noelle..._

"I must question her further."


	6. Heat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the delay! It's been a rough couple of weeks, lots of health issues (not pandemic related), lots of anxiety. But this is one of the fun chapters! Thank you for reading and I would love to hear from you.

Chapter 6

Heat

* * *

 _All this jostling will turn my head to mush,_ Noelle thought. She was hustled down a new flight of stone steps. Though she had no idea where she was going or what awaited her once they reached their destination, she found herself filled with what could only be identified as misplaced apathy.

 _I think I'm all feared out._ She was led through another door. Suddenly, the hands that held her shoulders fell away.

She turned around, only to have the large, stone door slammed in her face.

_I wonder if-_

Her last hopeful thought was interrupted by the unmistakable sound of a lock falling into place. It sounded heavy, the echo of it permeating throughout the room behind her. 

_Never mind._ She sighed. Her shoulders felt heavy and her breath was coming in short, swift gasps. She turned back and saw she was facing another staircase. This one was circular, leaving her with no sense of what awaited her at it's end. A series of glass lanterns, hung high above trailed downwards, offering only a little light. With nowhere else to turn, Noelle began her descent, allowing the light to guide her down, down, down.

 _Lord, this place is massive. An entire kingdom chiseled into a cave...or a mountain maybe? I don't even know._ It was troubling still, to know how turned around she was. She often prided herself on having her bearings in most situations. _The sooner I'm home,_ she thought, unable to stop herself from repeating the mantra. _The better._

Noelle had all but wandered blindly into adulthood; far too consumed by her studies to notice the changes. Without realizing it, she had managed to successfully form lasting friendships, maintain a strictly physical relationship and grown in ways her younger self would have never imagined. But here, in the midst of what she could only describe as a fantasy, she felt decidedly childlike. A brunette Alice, lost in a dangerously strange world. The thought thrilled her enough to stave off the growing fear that she would never find her way home.

Finally, she came to the bottom of the steps. The walls that lined the stairs opened up, revealing what looked to be a dressing room. Thick carved pillars, held up the cavernous ceiling. Far at the opposite end, Noelle could see a different kind of light, more like the glow of a pearl than the warm amber that filtered in from behind her. Hurrying towards it, she realized it was in fact moonlight but to her dismay found no viable exit route. The opening in the stronghold was terribly high above, with no signs of a staircase or even a wall rocky enough for her to attempt to scale. In the middle of the opening, stood a large statue of an elk, it's antlers as imposing as those that surrounded the kings throne. Moonlight shone down on it, casting looming shadows down over the moat of water that surrounded it. Her hopes stymied yet again, Noelle dropped down to sit with a heavy sigh. Leaning her back against the statue, she gazed up at the sky. The stars above, so bright and plentiful, seemed to mock her. Here she was so close to freedom and yet it was impossibly far all the same. 

Restless, she stood again and made her way around this new prison. 

_If I could even call it that._ She thought, her mouth falling opening. _Seems undeserving._

Whatever this place was, it was a far cry from the cell she had first been dumped into. Furniture of brilliant make was placed throughout. Each piece was crafting of wood and metals, accessorized with plump cushions and blankets of hide. Tall stands of candles, some lit, stood by each. A large table, covered with old texts and parchment was pushed up against one wall. Next to it, a large fireplace sat, similarly framed by elk antlers, it's mantle flush with greenery. At the foot of the circular staircase, just off to the right was another set of stairs, and below she could see a pool of deep blue water. It was as still as glass, but Noelle could see tendrils of steam languidly drifting off the surface and into the air.

 _A hot spring?_ She thought, drifting down to inspect it further. Her curiosity was stilled when she came to face to face with her reflection. The water was dark and the Noelle that stared back up at her was somewhat shadowed, but it was no less revealing than if she had been staring into a mirror.

 _I look hellish,_ She thought, frowning.

It was true. Her hair looked tired and limp. The braid at the side of her head was beginning to come undone. Bent locks of hair had escaped every which way. Her shirt was torn, the seam at her left shoulder completely severed, revealing a patch of dirty, scuffed up skin. Her boots had fared well, but they were made for forest walks. Her jeans on the other hand, were smeared with dirt and a small hole that had started to form on her knee some time ago was completely torn open. There was a nasty looking scrape on her now unprotected knee that looked in need of a good scrubbing.

Noelle turned her attention back to the pool. The sight of it, and the thought of being clean again, was practically hypnotic. She licked at her dry, chapped lips as her eyes followed the lazily ascending steam.

Tearing herself away from the temptation, she regarded the room she had been so unceremoniously dumped into. She drifted halfway up the stairs, eyes searching for any sign of a guard. 

"Hello?" She called, her voice echoing around her. "Is anyone here?"

No answer came. 

Across from the pool, between two carved pillars, sat a small bench bedecked with pillows. Just to the left sat another, smaller circular staircase leading up to god knew where. Noelle walked over and peered up, but she could see nothing. Unlike the one she had descended, this one was completely dark. She considered wandering up, but her spirits were dampened by exhaustion.

"Anyone?" She repeated, much softer this time.

She clamored back down, eyeing the pool once more. Stepping towards it, she knelt down by the edge, and touched her hand to the surface. The rush of warmth shot through her nervous system, clouding what little judgement she had left. Without another thought, she began to undress. She clumsily undid the buttons on her shirt and flung herself out of her clothes. Gingerly she sunk into the depths, letting out a gasp as she was submerged.

The water was invigorating and sedative all at once. Though it was a shade too hot and stung her skin, Noelle couldn't imagine anything more heavenly. The heat flushed her cheeks and relaxed her aching muscles; chills danced up her spine and her skin felt as though it could melt off her bones. She dipped her head under, running her fingers through her hair to relieve her limp locks from twigs and dirt.

She swam around practically rejoicing as she felt the dirt and grime fall off her body. Stewing for close to a half hour, she began to forget her troubles, even where she was. Strangely, there was a lovely floral scent to the water, like jasmine and birch, and she drank it in like a sponge. After some time, her limbs felt like overcooked noodles boiling in a great pot.

 _That should do it._ Noelle thought, sighing contentedly. She lifted her wrist to her nose and sure enough the scent had soaked through her skin. Finally, she felt clean. She pushed her hair back, wringing it out. It took her sometime to find the step, but once she did she hoisted herself out of the water. Her head felt heavy, but it was a pleasant, easy feeling.

 _I really need to find my pack and get out of here._ She thought. _If I'm ever going to find my way back to the-the..._

She stopped, frowning. Small streams of water began to cool uncomfortably as they slid down her body.

_Strange. I thought I left my clothes right next to the-_

"Looking for something?" A familiar voice drawled from behind. 

Noelle dropped back into the water so quickly she failed to take a breath.

_Oh my god. Oh god. It's him, holy- did he see me?! Was he_ _**watching** _ _?!_

Even in the warmth of the water, Noelle could feel an icy shiver traveling up her spine.

_Could I possibly humiliate myself anymore?!_

If it did not mean suffocation, she would have stayed underneath the surface for the rest of time. Gathering what few fragments of dignity she still had, Noelle slowly rose up allowing only her head and neck to breach the surface. Steeling herself she brushed her hair back and turned around. 

Sure enough, Thranduil stood at the water's edge, towering over her like a great tree. His draping metallic robe was gone, but it in no way detracted from his effortless majesty. The candlelight behind him caused his ash blonde hair to glow. Noelle thought he looked more like an apparition than a living, breathing person.

_Maybe this is all a dream._

He was not smiling, but something in his voice made Noelle believe he was enjoying this.

"Oh," Noelle blurted, attempting to seem unbothered. "Hello,"

The side of his mouth turned up in a truly goading grin. 

"Such a callow little thing…" he all but crooned. "Bathing in _**my**_ chambers."

Noelle bristled at being called a "little thing." She may be a fish out of water, but she was no little thing.

She racked her brain for a scathing retort, but the heat and steam and lovely floral aromas was too distracting. In the end, all she could come up with was the truth.

"I needed it," She said bluntly, crossing her arms over her chest, daring enough to rise up a bit further. 

"I don't doubt it" Thranduil said swiftly, managing another barb quicker than she expected. 

Noelle was miffed, finding that he was no less commanding without his throne and crown.

 _Of course that could have something to do with the fact that he's fully clothed while I have nothing. Not even a thread._ She thought disdainfully.

"I would venture that you would prefer to continue this conversation on...a more even ground." He said, his voice sweet like honey. 

Noelle sniffed derisively. _Well, he's not wrong._

"Yes, I would." She said coolly. 

To her horror, he held out his hand. As though he meant to...Noelle balked.

"Oh no." Noelle sputtered. "I'm not moving unless you toss me my clothes. 

The king's brow lifted curiously. 

"Shall I call the guards to drag you out?" He said, clearly uninterested in negotiating. 

Noelle felt a much different heat bubbling from her chest. _Bastard._

With no other choice, Noelle steeled herself and began to trudge up the stairs. Now, even more so than before she was consumed with awareness of her bare body. It felt as though a million separate droplets of water were sliding down, outlining every last curve like beams of revealing light.

Desperate for a distraction, she focused her sights on his hand and placed it into his. It took every ounce of her composure to keep a blank expression. His hand felt so strong, like stone. His height allowed for so much intimidation, she never really thought he could be so...so…

 _He's like an ancient statue._ She thought, unable to restrain the coloring in her cheeks.

As always, Noelle's thoughts manifested themselves at the most inopportune of times. She realized that she had never held a hand so strong before. The men in her life - some of them just boys at the time, had all been soft, kind hearted creatures. There had been the musician, the intellectual, the little white liar. She was the tree, steady and tenacious. They were her leaves, lovely and colorful but gone with the changing seasons.

Once she was out of the water, she looked up at him. His eyes were fixed steadily on hers, not once did they linger on any other part of her. Relief flooded through her veins and her cheeks cooled.

"Here," He said almost gently; the sound of his voice causing Noelle's heart to skip so forcefully she nearly lost her balance.

She looked down. His other hand was outstretched, clutching a large bundle of silvery blue fabric. She quickly realized it was a robe and took it gratefully.

It was much too long for her and Noelle cringed, wondering if it belonged to him. But the shape of it fit her torso far too well, and she knew it must have been made for a women. As she tried to roll up the sleeves and assure she wouldn't trip over the hem, she couldn't help but admire the garment. The fabric was unlike anything she had ever felt before. It was thick, but it felt light against her bare skin. The base was a cool blue, with a paper thin overlay of shiny gray. She wrapped it around her now shivering figure, holding it tightly to her.

When she looked up again, Thranduil had moved to a small table. It only had one seat, crated of expertly manipulated iron. Atop the table, Noelle could see a tall glass of what looked to be red wine and several plates stacked high with fruit and bread.

 _Food._ Noelle's mind called, ogling the table with unabashed desire. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until she had seen the plates. Her stomach gurgled loudly.

"You must be famished." He said, a smile playing at his lips and Noelle knew he had heard.

"A-a little." Noelle bluffed, feeling very much like a child.

He crossed one slender leg atop the other and leaned back, looking no less magnificent. Now his bright eyes grazed slowly over her and Noelle felt again as though she didn't have a single stitch of clothing.

"Who are you?" He asked.

"I-I've already told you-" Noelle started.

"You've given me a name. Which is about as useful to me as that camera" He said. Noelle knew he meant to sound threatening and it would have worked if only her could get a better handle on the word "camera." Noelle was grateful he had made the attempt. She was reminded that he was not the only one with power here. Even though she was the outsider, the trespasser, she still possessed knowledge he never would.

 _If I play my cards right,_ She thought, allowing herself a small smile. _I could fool him._

"I am," She started, the gears in her head working swiftly. "From a kingdom far, far away."

He frowned, but said nothing.

"Across the sea." Noelle tried, realizing she might be in over her head. Were they anywhere near a sea? What if he asked her to name it. Not wanting to overshoot her play, she backtracked into more vague lies. "I'm nothing more than a wanderer, sir. I-I heard tell of these lands, but I never expected such animosity."

Thranduil stood then, so fluidly Noelle couldn't help but gape. He approached her, and she was aware once more of his towering height. She had to crane her neck to meet his gaze.

"Is that all?" He asked in a low voice.

Noelle just nodded.

He raised his hand as if to touch her face, but stopped at her sharp intake of breath. His hand stilled so close to her cheek, she could feel it's warmth.

"There is...something about you." He whispered, as if speaking only to himself. Noelle could do nothing but stand her ground.

"You hide your truth," He said, silver eyes molten. "To do so is to deny me, and to deny me is a fool's game."

"Well, then I guess I am a fool" Noelle bit back scathingly. She didn't mean to sound so impudent, but her frustration was back in spades. She realized the moment the words left her mouth that it _was_ a terribly foolish response. Something sparked in his eyes, betraying his ordered and regal appearance, something wild and dangerous.

Noelle swallowed, suddenly afraid. She had dug herself into quite a hole...again.

He stood, towering over her in a way that no man ever had.

Thranduil stepped back.

"The last friendly house is far from here." He warned. "If you leave this room, there will be unpleasant consequences."

He left her then, his words hanging heavy in the air.

* * *

Though Thranduil's words both frightened and enraged her, Noelle's immediate priorities lay elsewhere. Only seconds after he left, she dashed to the table. There would be time for action later. Now was the time to ease her aching stomach.

She fell into the chair and all but inhaled the food. Within a dozen minutes, the fruit, the bread and the jug of water that sat next to wine was all gone. It was, by all accounts, the best meal she had ever eaten. The fruit was surprisingly juicy and ripe given the time of year. The bread was deliciously warm and fluffy, as if it had just been pulled from an oven. And she had not realized how thirsty she had been until the first sip of water splashed down her throat. Once she was done, she leaned back in the chair, letting the meal settle. Almost at once she felt more awake and aware than she had in days.

 _Now..._ She thought, knowing she needed to act on this new found energy. _Where are my clothes…?_

It was impossible to know where to start. She knew one of the staircases led to a locked door, while the other had only just been used by the king, her captor. There was no way to know what - or who - was waiting up there.

However, after a frenzied search of the chamber, she found no sign of her clothes or her pack.

"God!" She erupted, stamping her foot. _Will I ever get out of here?!_

All hesitation inside of her vanished like clouds of smoke. Without another thought, she steeled herself and climbed up the smaller staircase, ready and willing to face whatever she might find.

* * *

Noelle wasn't sure what to expect, but she certainly didn't count 'nothing' as one of the possibilities. The staircase had led her to another room, a bedroom by the looks of it. The room was flooded with golden light that originated from another large, burning fireplace. The walls, we carved from the mountain stone and the roots of a giant tree. Against one wall sat a massive bed, dressed in puffy plum sheets. The headboard mimicked the design of the the kings impressive throne. This was Thranduil's chambers, there was no doubting it.

 _So many antlers,_ She thought, rolling her eyes. _He certainly commits to the aesthetic._

Across from the staircase, a large door stood closed. When she tried the handle, she was pleased to find it was unlocked.

She now found herself walking through another open hall, but after ten minutes of traversing she still had not come into contact with another living soul.

The walkways were carved from stone. And yet, they had been expertly sculpted to resemble textured tree roots. They forged slithering paths throughout an open space that looked large enough to comfortably house a football stadium (or two or three), much like large water snakes swimming through a dank stream.

The air was thin and cool, suggesting that this was a cavernous kingdom, buried deep under the forest grounds. Noelle could hear echoes of a raging river from far, far below. Grasping one of the thick stone pillars, she ventured a look over the side of the path, but all she could see below was darkness.

 _This is amazing._ She thought, distracted by the unabashed grandioseness of it all.

"Like something out of a fairytale." She whispered to herself.

Carefully, she made her way down the steps trying not to trip over the robes. She gathered the excess folds of fabric in her hands and chose a descending path.

She took cautious steps, afraid that any noise would bring unwanted attention.

 _But why haven't I seen anyone yet?_ She thought, eyes carefully watching for even the smallest of shadows.

King Thranduil, it seemed, had an army of guards at his beck and call. _And supposedly there's a kingdom of subject somewhere in these halls._

_Where could they all be?_

* * *

Not far from the wandering woman's trek, a celebration was brewing in the Great Hall. The Feast of Starlight had come to the kingdom. Amongst tables plentiful with food and wine, hundreds of subjects danced and ate and drank as joyful music filled the hall. Precious lights captured from fallen stars floated above the festivities, a rare display of magic reserved for only for such an occasion as this.It was a carousel other tribes of elves found distasteful and superfluous, but the Kingdom of Thranduil was far more lush than their kin.

It was the last day, and therefore the loudest and most luxuriant, of the Feasting. And by all past accounts, the celebrations would last well into the morning.

At the head table, King Thranduil sat, watching his subjects with familial pride. Amongst their numbers, he could see his son. His heart was heavy at the sight. For it was these times especially that he felt the aching absence of his wife.

With a shaky hand, he reached for his wine glass and emptied it down his throat.

* * *

_Is that music?_

Noelle gripped another steady column. Below, she could see a towering doorway that must have been at least four stories high. It's doors were open a crack, and she could see a thin trail of light spread before them. The trail she was one, as well as three others all led to the same point.

As she approached it, she could confirm that she noise she heard was music. There were raucous voices, too. It almost sounded to her like-

"A party?" She said aloud. It seemed bizarre. The creatures she had met so far had been so rigid and frightful. To think that they could be partying was akin to believing dogs could talk or cats were capable of flight.

Once again, though it in no way helped her current situation, Noelle couldn't stop herself from thinking it, _I'm totally dreaming._

She slipped down the staircase slowly so as not to trip and tumble down. With careful, quiet steps she approached the door. Pleasant smells wafted through the crack in the door and the musical voices grew louder. She hesitated.

_Going through the front entrance is surely my worst idea so far._

Stepping back, she looking around. To her left, she could see what looked like another staircase. She approached it, and sure enough shrouded in shadow another, much narrower staircase lay hidden.

Peering over her shoulder, Noelle deemed it safe and headed downwards once more.

From the looks of it, these stairs were used solely for service. A way to flutter about quickly and unseen. There was no sign of artistry carved into the walls here, they were simply flat and sturdy. As she ventured further down, she could see specks of light coming from the right. The tight walls had opened up into a swerving line of columns.

Noelle leapt forward, hiding herself behind one of them. After several seconds, she swallowed her breath and peered around it.

 _It_ _ **is**_ _a party._ Noelle thought, eyes wide.

Scores of people-or rather elves-filled the Hall. Most were stationed at long tables, feasting and laughing. At the center of the room a small group danced, flinging large mugs around jovially.

 _Lord, are those actual minstrels?!_ Noelle thought, leaning closer. She watched as a small group of them played at instruments, some of which were foreign to her.

The good will and wine doused festivities were infectious and Noelle caught herself smiling in spite of it all. These elves were entirely unlike their king and his guards.

 _Looks like a real rager._ She thought, suddenly reminiscent of her early college days.

As her eyes scanned the Hall, she spotted him. King Thranduil.

He sat in the center of a long table that was positioned perpendicular to all of the others. It was raised much higher and was bedecked with antlers just like the throne room. Thranduil sat at the center of the table. Five elves flanked either side of him, except for one empty seat just to his right. It was raised just as his was and crafted of similar materials.

In his hand, he held a large glass, but his thoughts were focused inwards. It looked as though he was in another place entirely, completely unaware of the rousing chaos around him.

Noelle moved swiftly between the columns, closer and closer, watching him from the shadows. She didn't know why, but she felt drawn like a moth to a flame. The sight of him, so regal and dark, it was just like the first time she had seen him for his was entirely unaware of her gaze.

He was clothed in glittering black now; a richly scarlet robe draped around his shoulders, his berry crown sitting comfortably on his head. Then, just as before, his eyes found hers for the slightest of seconds.

Noelle spun around, her back pressed hard against the wide column. She could feel her heart slamming against her rib.

 _Lord, Noelle, not again! Am I cursed?_ She thought, panting wildly. _With curiosity maybe..._

She stayed frozen on the spot for several minutes. _I'd be better off leaving._

Gingerly, she peered around the column once more, hoping he hadn't seen her.

"Gilorndis?"

Noelle felt her heart plummet into her stomach. _How did he get behind me? Again?!_

She turned around, intent on bolting, but she was pushed backwards, her shoulders hitting the rounded stone.

Before she could protest, she could feel arms wrapped around her, hot breath wafting at her hair, lips pressed against a bare patch of skin at her forehead. Her sense of smell was overwhelmed by the scent of mulled spices and fermented fruit.

 _He's drunk!_ She realized. _Stinking drunk._

He released her for only a second, before nearly collapsing onto her and pressing her against the wall once more. His head rested on her shoulder. As one hand held her in place, the other grabbed at her robes, fingering the texture of it.

Noelle stood stock still, unsure of what exactly was happening. _Does he...does he think I'm someone else? Gilorndis...is that a name?_

Then, he whispered something so silent Noelle almost didn't catch it. _I've missed you._

The next word was something she did not know, another language perhaps. She couldn't be sure.

There was no time for her to dwell on it. Thranduil lifted his head and caught her chin in his hand. Tipping her head up, his lips ghosted against her jawline.

Noelle could see that his eyes were still far away. Before she could decide what to make of this revelation, he pressed his lips to hers. Hard. One thousand sensations hit her at once. She could taste the wine on his tongue, bitter and glorious all at once. Flowery scents filled her nose, making her eyes sting. His other hand was clasped around her waist, his thumb moving up and down in wanton circles. It was all too much. Noelle swooned, her eyes slipping shut. She would have fallen if she was not pressed so fervently against the knotty wall.

Ages passed before he pulled away. Noelle's breathed left her in a cool hiss. She looked up at him again, her head like a cloud.

The dizziness drained quickly, however. Noelle could see that the glaze in his eyes was dissipated. Clarity was returning.

"You are not..." He started, brow furrowing. He stumbled into her, but she pushed him away.

Noelle didn't wait for him to finish. She darted out from under him and fled up the secret staircase, too afraid to look back. As she ran, she breathlessly prayed that he wouldn't remember their encounter come morning.


	7. Wild Flowers

The last of festivities did not end until well after the breaking of dawn. Many of the Mirkwood elves had retired to their homes to recover from a week of wine-drenched celebrations. Now that the summer season had been properly venerated, it was time for autumn to grace the forest. Only the king lingered inside the great hall. He slouched on his throne, his body and mind heavy in it's inebriation. Towering above even him, the ossified antlers that decorated his seat cast shadows over his sullen face.

His hazy eyes scanned the empty hall. The ceiling stretched far above and shafts of warm midday light came pouring down revealing the terrible mess below that had yet to be touched. All that remained from the night before were glasses and bottles - some shattered- next to plates and bowls of untouched food.

The only sound came from a monstrous hearth that sat behind him where coals that had been burning for days were finally ebbing; spitting out small crackles with their dying breaths.

Lofty carved statues lined the doors that lay across the room. One depicted Oropher, Thranduil's father, the first king of the Greenwood. The resemblance between him and his son had once been thought uncanny and unmatched. But then Thranduil's own son, Legolas was born with a likeness so identical even the queen made jest of it.

Even the queen.

Thranduil's eye turned to the second statue. It was not a carving of his mother, as tradition would dictate, but of the Greenwood's first queen: his ardent wife, Gilorndis.

He reached again for the bottle on the table, but found it too had been emptied. His throat quaked with unquenched thirst, but it was his quaking heart that he felt most fervently.

To an immortal being, time was nothing more than an inconvenience. The changing of the seasons was dependable but fleeting. He could remember so clearly the first day of summer and now in a flash it was gone. He had not properly prepared himself for the coming of autumn. Though his very namesake tied him to the season of blooming flowers and new life, it was the color and vigor of Autumn that he most cherished. For more than any other season, it reminded him so completely of his lost wife.

As grand as the statue was, it was no comparison to her true beauty. During it's construction, he thought often of what she would say at the sight of it. And so he thought of her now, her voice loud as a bell in his muddled head. Not wanting the voice to fade, he dove far back into his memories, to the day he had first met her, to the very first words he had heard her speak.

Now that she was gone, that day seemed almost like a dream.

* * *

_He and his father had only just arrived in the Greenwood._

_They had journeyed from Lindon, where the rule of the High Elves was absolute. His father, who had lost his own home during the great war, despised living under the demands of another. The Silvan elves of the Greenwood were in need of a leader and Oropher was more than capable of adopting such a role. Taking with him his son and a small following of like minded elves, Oropher left Lindon behind and never looked back._

_While the journey had been easy, adapting to such a volatile land had was not. Greenwood forest was beautiful, but it was also inhabited by strange and vile creatures. The Silvan elves had lived many years separated from their kin. To Thranduil, they were a foreign people. Unlike anything he had seen before._

_In the short time he had lived in the forest, Thranduil watched the Silvan elves, observing their customs, eager to understand. It had been his father's command, but his own youthful curiosity made it an easy mandate to follow._

_In particular, he found himself fascinated by the wood elves baneful war tactics. They had revolutionized archery. They were swift. Silent. And above all, deadly. A mere handful of adept foot soldiers could do the work of an entire fleet if given the chance._

_After only a week living amongst the Silvan elves, Thranduil snuck away into the depths of the forest, anxious to master their ways._

_It was not an easy task. For hours he wrestled with his bow, knocking arrow after arrow. Only to have one slip from his grasp and fall with a humiliating clunk to the earthy floor underfoot. The ones he managed to fire, flew too wide or too high. Some sunk to the ground. None managed to come within a foot of the makeshift target he had assembled, pinned to the base of a tree._

_As the early morning turned into day, after gathering arrows for what felt like the hundredth time, he attempted again to at least make contact with the target. Any spot would've done, but after struggling with his fingering he sent another arrow flying high. So high, it disturbed a dove's nest perched on an overlooking branch, sending a fop of twigs and leaves tumbling down, straight on top of his head. With a curse, he threw the bow to the ground, before taking hand to head and hastily ridding his silvery blonde locks of the intruding foliage._

" _Oh, you_ _**must**_ _be one of them." Came a voice from behind._

_Thranduil stilled. Masking his chagrin, he peered over his shoulder._

_High above him, stooped precariously on a boulder that jutted out of the cliffside stood a young elf. To Thranduil's great confusion, she was dressed in the clothes of a guardsman. Her slim legs were wrapped in brown leather. A vest of mossed green covered her chest. Her hair, the color of strawberry wine, was pulled back into a tight braid that trailed down her back. If it wasn't for the willowy timbre of her voice, he would have mistaken her for a soldier._

_He straightened and tried to adopt his father's effortless nobility. But Thranduil was still a young thing himself and such pontifications eluded him._

" _One of them?" He repeated, demanding clarification._

" _From Lindon, of course," she said. Without another word, she jumped from her perch and landed with practiced grace on the forgiving forest floor._

" _It's your stance," She said. "How many times have you held a bow? Is this your third? Fourth?"_

_Thranduil bristled at her accuracy. He wished he had brought his sword with him. He had always been better with a sword in hand._

" _Second," He admitted._

" _Oh," She said, surprised. "Not hopeless then."_

_She laughed and Thranduil was reminded of the mischievous sprites that frequented his mothers stories. With great ease, she jumped up onto a fallen tree, walking along it's narrow back while expertly spinning an arrow of her own between her fingers._

" _Who are you?" He spat._

" _I am Gilorniel, daughter of Eristneth, Captain of the guard."_

_She jumped over onto the log he stood on. "Shall I show you how it's done?"_

_Thranduil stepped down. As she focused on his target, a small knot at the center of a great oak that stood high above the cliffside, he pressed the toe of his boot onto the side of the log. It shifted ever slightly. He watched her carefully and, just as she took aim, he pulled his foot away causing the log to rock towards him. Gilorniel pitched forward as well, her shot falling inches short of it's goal._

" _Ah," Thranduil sneered, hoisting his bow onto his shoulder. "Pity."_

_Gilorniel scoffed. Hopping off of the log, she went to retrieve her arrow._

_As she passed him, her shoulder purposefully collided with his._

" _I think you mean petty." She said, her eyes alight with a ravenous spark._

_Thranduil laughed. Such brassy discourse, of which he had always had a penchant for, had been looked down upon in Lindon. Perhaps he could grow to like the Greenwood._

" _What is your name?" She called over her shoulder._

" _Thranduil." He answered, stepping onto the log once more._

" _Thranduil." She repeated, mimicking his tone. "Why Thranduil is the name of our new pri-"_

_She stopped short, her melodic mockery caught in her throat. She spun around, mouth agape; her face erupting in a rosy blush._

_Thranduil bared his teeth in a wicked smile._

" _Prince?" He finished, his silver eyes as sly as a fox._

" _Y-yes," The young elf sputtered as she scrambled to her feet. "My lord, I-uh, do forgive me. I was not aware that I-"_

" _Please," He interjected, raising his hand. "It's far too late for such cordial words. Now, what can you do to earn a reprieve?"_

_Flustered, she hurried over to him. He could see the gears in her head working to come up with a proper response. She stepped up onto the log again, uncomfortably close to him. She carried with her the aroma of wild flowers. It permeated his senses, leaving him strangely light-headed._

" _What are you-" He started._

_Before he could finish, she pressed her lips to his._

_Startled, he reared back but she grabbed at his collar holding him steady. Just as quickly, she pulled away._

" _Will that do?" She breathed._

_As Thranduil tried to form an equally shrewd retort, she leapt away and disappeared into the trees._

* * *

The last surviving ember emitted a sizzling hiss, pulling Thranduil from his reverie. His eyes rolled open slowly and the memory faded from sight.

How bizarre that the memory seemed so clear in his mind. He could imagine so completely the feel of her lips pressed against his. As though it had only just happened. His brow furrowed.

 _But it had._ A thought pressed in his head.

He had kissed his wife.

 _Last night,_ He thought. Though his head still felt very much submerged in a vat of potent wine, he adamantly remembered...he had kissed his wife only hours ago.

_I did. In the shadow of the west wing. As we always did during the-_

Thranduil flung himself from his seat so violently, an approaching attendant fell over his own feet to assist him.

"My Lord, are you-"

"The trespasser." Thranduil blared. "Where is she?"

* * *

Noelle was lost again. Lost in another dream. When she realized where she was, she cursed.

_Not again._

"Not another one!" She shouted.

The words left her mouth in a cloud of smoke.

It was cold. Cold like ice. Noelle wrapped her arms around herself, a chill like no other rattling her bones. She was standing at the floor of a massive valley. To her right, she could see a towering, snow covered mountain. It's jagged peaks were surrounded by a swarm of white clouds. They rolled slowly by, most likely moved by heavy windstorms too high for Noelle to hear or feel.

Her eye trailed downwards, until she realized in a fit of horror that she was standing in the middle of an icy lake.

She gasped and nearly toppled over. Her arms swung out, flailing wildly until she regained her balance.

As a child, she had once fallen into a cold river and she had feared drowning ever since. She could still remember the freezing water clawing at her skin, enveloping her, trying to pull her down into the dark. If it had not been for her father's quick hand and steady head, she might have drowned that day.

Noelle choked on her breath, calling upon all her will to banish the fear away. It seemed whoever, or whatever, had crafted these dreams had discovered this fear of hers. Tears pooled in her eyes.

Crying out, Noelle clamped her hands around her head and began to whisper to herself. She tried to conjure up better thoughts, other thoughts, anything to transport her away from this place.

"Why is this happening?!" She cried out, her words echoing across the landscape.

No answer came.

 _First fire and shadows, now this._ She thought, too frightened to move. _What is going on?_

In the distance, she heard the bone cracking cry of a raven. It slit shivers through her spine. Her instinct begged her to run, but she was too fearful of falling into the ice. Soon a chorus of cries littered the horizon, but Noelle couldn't catch sight of a single body.

 _It's just a dream._ She thought. _Only a dream. It's not real. None of this is real. Nothing here is real._

The chorus grew louder and louder until quite suddenly it ceased altogether.

Noelle pulled her hands away from her head, lifting her chin she peered around.

 _Nothing._ She thought. _I see nothing._

From behind her, she heard a soft flutter of feathers.

She turned. There on the ice sat a large, sleek raven. It locked eyes with her for a short second, before it began to claw at the ice. Then, it lifted it's beak into the air and brought it down hard. With a sickening crack, a break began to form in the surface of the ice.

 _No._ Her heart plunged into her stomach.

 _"Stop!"_ She cried, her feet slipping beneath her.

But the raven continued, it's beak hacking into the ice until it split completely. The splinter was small at first, but it began to grow and grow inching closer and closer to where she was standing until-

* * *

Noelle awoke drenched in sweat and gasping for breath. As terrifying as the fire had been, the raven's murderous actions had seared through her like a knife. She sat up and ran a hand through her hair. Her breath came thin and hot, filling her lungs and radiating through veins. Her heart was beating in her skull and she felt though she could collapse in exhaustion.

She realized far too late that she wasn't alone in the room. Looking over her shoulder she saw two women watching her.

"Oh," She said, wiping the knuckles under her eyes. "I didn't know. I-"

One of them, the elder, approached her and gestured for her to stand.

"Who are you?" Noelle asked, tired of being ordered around.

The women, both dressed in robes of silver and moss, looked at one another and began to speak in low tones. At first Noelle wondered if she was so rattled that she couldn't properly identify what they were saying.

 _It's that other language._ She realized. _They must not understand me._

Not wanting to cause any more trouble, Noelle stood and offered them a small reassuring smile. They responded in kind, leading her back up the rounded staircase.

It soon became clear to Noelle, that they had been called to help dress her. However, with a language barrier and a muddled head, it soon became an irksome process.

Above all else, the clothes felt impractical. The lightness of the fabric brought a blush to her face. Noelle felt as though she could step into a mild wind and be stripped bare. Thankfully, a mirror was present and she could see that it was indeed a modest outfit. Noelle ran her fingers over the skirt. The fabric was thinner than the robe she had commandeered the night before, but its many layers did enough to cover her. It was pale olive in color, hemmed with copper threads and altogether plain compared to the extravagant textiles that had sheltered her before. She gasped as a stringed corset was pulled tight across her gut, thankfully the woman loosened it some before cinching it off.

Before Noelle could protest she was pushed into a seat and the other elf began to weave small sections of her hair into braids.

"This really isn't necessary." She said, still a fluster from her nightmare and sudden waking.

_I can't tell if they understand me and are just ignoring me..._

If Thranduil truly was a king, it seemed right that he would be multilingual.

_The more I think about it...I think he's the only one, aside from the guard that spoke English. I still can't pin down what language these...elves speak. God, listening to me! Elves?!_

Once again, Noelle had to stop herself from wandering down the path of how-the-hell-is-this-possible.

_It hasn't done me an ounce of good. There are more pressing concerns anyway…_

Chief among them, was her disastrous trek the night before. Noelle felt a shiver run up her spine at the very thought.

_As...insanely nice as that was...it could cause me trouble._

Without her watch or phone, she had no idea how much time had passed since the fateful encounter.

_I could have been sleeping for an entire day. I_ _**still** _ _could be sleeping._

Whether Thranduil would recover from his drunkenness with a clear recollection or an empty head, Noelle could not know. And there was nothing she hated more than uncertainty.

"Leave us."

Noelle leapt to her feet. The women that had been wordlessly primping her left side and slipped away without question.

In the bustle, Noelle lifted a hand to her head. Small sections of her hair had been expertly braided and left to hang against the curled mess of it's fellows.

Swallowing, she turned her attention back to Thranduil.

To her dismay, he looked just as illustrious as he had the day before. Once again he was crown-less, but the metallic black robes he wore only added an air of menace to his already intimidating stature.

 _Has he already sobered up?! How is that even possible-No, don't concentrate on it._ Noelle reminded herself. Above all else, she could not let him think she was as terrified of him as she felt.

Raising her chin, she tried to match his effortless elegance as best she could.

"What's this about?" She demanded to know, gesturing at the clothes she wore. She hoped her words sounded dismissive and not affected.

Thranduil said nothing. He folded his arms behind his back, his eyes grazing over her.

As frightening and forceful as his voice was, his silence was all the more effective. Noelle sighed, disguising her discomfort as exasperation.

He stepped towards her and then around, circling her as keenly as an eagle did it's prey.

 _God, he knows. He must._ Noelle thought, beads of sweat forming at the back of her neck.

"I guess I should thank you for the clothes," She said aloud, her voice breaking. "But I really should be going. If you could just retrieve my bag…"

He was behind her now. So close behind her, she could feel his hair brush against her back.

Noelle jerked forward instinctively.

"Well," She continued, stepping tenuously towards the door. "I suppose you have someone to do that for you."

Still, he did not speak. Nor did he try to stop her.

Somewhat emboldened, Noelle reached the door and placed her hand on the sleek handle.

"I can't honestly say it was a pleasure but I've endured worse lodgings. So I'll just be-"

A large hand, his hand, fell over hers. Noelle's gulped, the last of her words completely vanishing from her mind. His touch felt warm against her shivering hand.

Firmly, but not harshly, his lifted her hand away from the handle. He pulled it away, spinning her around and pressing her up against the door.

 _Lord, again?!_ She bemoaned.

He leaned down low so that his eyes were level with hers. Unable to help herself, she met his gaze. His eyes were gray steel, as sharp as a dagger's point.

"Do you think you can simply walk out of here?" He said in a voice no higher than a whisper.

"I thought I'd try," She responded with a grim, breathy laugh. _Can't make it any worse, Can I?_

"You defied my command," He continued, clearly unamused.

Noelle felt her gut jump into her throat.

"I am afraid... _ **Noelle**_ ," Her name slithered luridly across his tongue. "That I will not let you go so easily."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and leaving comments! Happy New Year!


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